Over the last couple of weeks, along with political leadership battles disputes about climate change and global warming have been on the front pages of our newspapers. 

In our churches we have probably prayed for our political leaders, and will pray for our new opposition leader, but I don't often hear much about climate change and global warming from our pulpits - even though it is the issue of the day and one about which most people have a strong opinion. 

Why don't we speak on climate change from our pulpits? Here are a few suggestions and comments I came up with as I examined my motives. 

  1. We don't think this issue is as important as gospel proclamation and so not worthy of being part of what we say. Certainly this world we live in will pass away, and only what is unseen will last. But we also live in the overlap of the ages where we are at the same time inhabitants of heaven and living in this fallen world. How the Christian lives in this fallen world should be part of what we proclaim.

  2. We don't know what to say about the issue. Praying for our leaders and our planet is easy, we know what to pray for, but what do we say about climate change? The media is simplistic. It paints everything as black or white with only one dimension to it. But we should not be like that, so we don't say anything. The problem is that it is the preacher's responsibility to lead, and to help congregations to think God's thoughts after Him. We may not know enough to be certain on the particularities of the issue, but we have much we should say about the principles. For example; I don't know the details of the ETS arguments but the loudest objection to doing something significant quickly is that it is economically disadvantageous to us. Surely care for the world and for others around the world is the way we should think.
  3. Comments and taking sides divides a congregation. This is true, but exposing our hearts and possible reasons for our opinions is important. Covering over these things does not help growth towards Christian maturity.

Why we must speak

If we do not speak about issues like this, our silence will be seen as a statement. Either a statement that Christian faith is not relevant to living in the here and now. It is just pie in the sky when you die. Or else a retreat from the truth that the gospel illuminates any issue we face in the everyday living of life.