It's a fair question. In this age of too much or too little information, blogs are fast becoming obsolete. Why read a long blog post when you can read a 140 character twitter instead? Or a text message? Or, if you're someone who feels that these technologies have dumbed us down and damaged our literacy, then why not just read a book?
But I think that there's still something valuable about the blog format which has evolved since the late nineties. There is a kind of free exchange about blogging that doesn't exist anywhere else. It can be done poorly. Not every blog is worth reading. But when done right, blogs can be places where ideas are discussed, where there is give and take. Blogs can have the length and weight of conventional sources of information like magazines and newspapers yet they have an immediacy that those older formats can't achieve.
This blog will not be a "what did you have for breakfast" blog. Nor do I want to create just another place in the Anglican world where people yell at each other. There will be links to articles here, commentary, and resources for building a vibrant faith that can survive the challenges of the modern world. This is going to be a place where pop culture and ancient truths meet and mingle. And it will be fun. I'm looking forward to the conversation we're about to share.
Nature vs. Environment
Father Jonathan,
First, great that you are doing this. Second, a couple of comments about your sermon. I think most Christians would agree that preventing the degradation of the environment is a good thing. As a scientist, I believe the most pressing environmental issue is global warming. This won't affect our generation but will certainly do so for our children and children of the world.. While farming practices have certainly changed our "nature" in the sense of how we get our food, our way of living (and other countries as well) has dramatically changed the environment for all the worlds people.What we do in the US and China/Europe does in terms of greenhouse gases affects global climate change, most likely to the detriment of the poorest countries. What is the appropriate Christian response to this crisis? I don't know, but it would be nice to see a high level call to action on climate change as a moral issue, instead of the usual statements about who is suitable for priesthood in the Episcopal Church.
Best,
Tom O'Brien
re: Nature vs. Environment
Hi Tom. Thanks for your feedback!
I agree with you that the care of the natural world should be a top concern for Christians (and everyone else for that matter). And yes, global climate change is a huge and defining part of that. It's something I care about personally very deeply. Throughout my high school and college years I worked in and with various environmental advocacy groups. Coming to faith in Christ has only strengthened those commitments for me. You simply cannot read Genesis, Isaiah, or even Job without seeing how much responsibility we've been given as human beings to care for creation. Abdicating that responsibility to future generations is simply not an option.
The news media doesn't seem to want to cover it, but I'm proud to say that our church is participating in the work of creation care and environmental stewardship in a major way. Let me suggest a few websites that will give you some more info on how:
Environmental Stewardship Advocacy Center
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/1829_ENG_HTM.htm
This is an office of the national church that is charged with coordinating churchwide efforts for environmental justice.
Episcopal Ecological Network
http://www.eenonline.org/
This is an independent organization that lobbies the national church for stronger advocacy and efforts to reduce our carbon footprint at the diocesan and parochial levels. They also have some links to some of the legislation that passed at General Convention this past summer.
Anglican Communion Environmental Network
http://acen.anglicancommunion.org/
This is a standing body within the global church that seeks to unite Anglicans all over the world in efforts to support sustainable ecology and environmental practices.