In the previous blog, I described the move inward exploring the first part of the following statement:
Public theology is prayerful reflection flowing out of love of God for the world as a way to instill hope and longing for the good planet.
The “public theology is prayerful reflection flowing out of love of God” section spells out the move inward through contemplation, prayer and reflection. It defines not just what it is but also its motivation, which in this case it is divine love, or charity. In this blog, I want to explore the second portion of the description above that traces a path outward towards our planet.
For the World
One of the most overlooked failures of evangelical (and mainline to a certain extent) theology in the last century is its inability to connect people with the world they live in. For the most part, it has built its main argument on the premise that we live in a fallen world beyond hope of repair. It does that so in the second breath, it can say that God is the only solution. In other words, it exacerbates the problem so it can better sell a solution. After all, a world that is intrinsically good needs no saving.
By building its argument as a sales pitch for the salvation of the soul, Christian theology left a legacy of disengagement. It has often produced disciples as the saying goes: ‘too heavenly minded to be any earthly good.’ It is great for filling stadiums and auditoriums but terrible for producing civic engagement. This is not to say that Christians in general, and evangelicals more in specific, have not engaged in productive action to help the common good. It is, however, to recognize that this came in spite of not because of this prevailing ethos that narrowly focuses on after-life fire insurance.
Oftentimes, civic engagement was a means to the goal of preaching salvation. Hence, public theology for this new decade, must re-define and re-orient this ethos of service away from being a means to being an end. Instead, it should see serving the world as the goal, a tangible incarnated reflection of our worship to the Creator. Because God ‘so loved’ the world, we, in turn, love the world too.
The world here is not just human beings but our whole planet, everything about this rock in our galaxy. Hence, we love this planet enough to work with people from all faiths to address human-generated climate change. We need to include notions of sustainability in our concept of holiness. The righteous person is the one who not only cares for their human neighbor but also for the global neighborhood. If we fail at loving the ground we live on, loving other humans may be a mute point if our planet cannot sustain life.
Of course, turning our gaze to the world also means loving other humans. I believe this we demonstrate this best by how we love both the marginalized and the very people that oppose us. Let’s also be honest: to be opposed for supporting or failing to challenge systems that oppress the poor, the different and the stranger is not the type of persecution we should be after. Yet, regardless of how or why we are opposed, loving our adversaries is at the heart of the Christian faith.
As a Way to Instill Hope and Longing
As I mentioned in the last blog, we do not live out this public theology without expecting to persuade others. Yes, I dare say, we do look for followers. We do seek to evangelize and to persuade those outside our institutional gates to consider their ways. We proclaim a message to build the common good also praying for metanoia – change of minds.
Yet, this is no longer a sales pitch to ask them to make a public confession of allegiance to our savior, nor an appeal for them to join our community and be baptized. If that happens, then we rejoice and receive them with open and hospitable arms. However, we aim for a much more audacious transformation. We dare, and are naive enough to believe that the whole Earth will be filled with the glory of God. That is, we dare believe the world can and will get better. The glory of God is Shalom, all living beings co-existing in mutual love and harmony. All living beings working to preserve, improve and develop this earth towards a better future.
Words are empty and often ineffective conduits to produce hope and longing. That is why this public theology must transcend mere proclamation and translate into concrete actions that in fact instill hope for a better world. It should manifest itself in grand visible gestures that run counter the narrative of death and disillusion propagated by our screens. It also happens in small personal acts of sacrifice. Small but enduring acts that demonstrate that we love those near and far well. Acts that express that we love this earth well.
For the Good Planet
The word “good” is often associated with the inferior option of excellent. That is not what I mean here. Goodness here (with a capital G) has to do with a vision of a planet where life flourishes, justice rolls down like rivers and all creatures live in harmony. To me, that is what it means to work for the common Good. It is not simply a flimsy notion of seeking compromise at all costs. Instead, it entails a vigorous negotiation in which all parties involved come out better than they started. Furthermore, I believe it is inspired in the vision of the Jewish prophet Isaiah as demonstrated in the painting below and in the quote right under it:
In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together;
Isaiah 11:6-9 New Living Translation
the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.
The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion,
and a little child will lead them all.
The cow will graze near the bear.
The cub and the calf will lie down together.
The lion will eat hay like a cow. The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.
Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.
Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,
for as the waters fill the sea,
so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord
Isaiah envisions a world in which reconciliation is not just a human affair but one that encompasses all creatures. The enmity that was the modus operandi for the survival of the fittest gives way to cooperation and solidarity. It is the belief that we do better together than divided; produce more when in peace than in war; and flourish brighter when cooperation replaces domination. That is at the heart of Isaiah’s vision – a world where all creation peacefully coexist.
This is not a utopian vision of human progress. It is a radical, and even illogical, hope that God can use anything and everything to the flourishing of life in this planet and beyond. It is not only a hope of an event in the distant future but a patient longing that each day we inch closer to this reality.
To me, that is the vision of the good planet: one where life flourishes and love is the rule.
Do we dare believe in the Jewish prophet’s vision?
