Communion with Creation
In 1972 the Lifestyle Movement was founded by Canon Dammers, Dean of Coventry Cathedral. Its slogan has been to 'live more simply that all of us may simply live'. To make ourselves smaller and thus more acceptable to God has been a recurrent Christian theme. The Beatitudes exalt us to be meek and gentle. Indeed, it is the gentle who shall have the earth as their heritage. We are urged to hunger for what is right, to show mercy, to be peacemakers and to accept persecution if it is the price of pursuing what is right. And we are taught that the poor in spirit will inherit the kingdom of God. It is the poverty of spirit which must impel us to reject personal consumerism and to choose a simpler lifestyle through which we become better custodians and stewards of that which we have been given. Ian Bradley in a BBC Radio Four 'Seeds of Faith' talk,13 said that Psalm 8, which emphasises Man's dominion over the earth, is too often interpreted as a warrant from God ruthlessly to exploit and ravage the natural resources. Bradley argues that it is rather a command to exercise that loving concern that God Himself shows over all His Creation: 'If we are, indeed, fashioned in the image of God, then that surely means that we are intended to love, nurture and cherish the rest of Creation.' Bradley defines Christian stewardship as a good steward acting as a faithful deputy of God, sustaining His Creation and preserving it for future generations: 'Stewardship also suggests an active and creative role with regard to the Earth we have been given responsibility for. We are to be gardeners as well as gardens.' Stewardship alone, he goes on to say, may not be enough. Jesus clearly related to the world around Him in a way which implies far more than stewardship. He showed an intimacy and familiarity with God's creatures and the processes of nature. Born in a stable, surrounded by animals and greeted by shepherds who had left their flocks, Jesus often used the seasons, the crops, the flowers and the animals to illustrate his teachings and parables. He stilled storms, walked on water, coexisted safely in deserted and wild places with the beasts of the wilderness. The Bible tells us that God created a beautiful and fruitful world for all his creatures and that He has given us the task of being stewards of His creation.14 The relationship which links God to us and the rest of His Creation is emphasised in the covenant which was made by God with Noah after the flood. The rainbow remains as a reminder of the special bond and challenge. This communion with nature can be seen in the lives of many of the saints. The Celtic saint, Columba, is reputed to have saved the trees at Calgach, near Derry, to