The words ‘justice’ and ‘peace’ are words long linked in Christian prayer. Psalm 85 proclaims ‘Saving Justice and Peace embrace’. The words speak of a God whose desire is for a kingdom where the deepest loving respect of the other underlies the productive flourishing of all.
So why does a parish group want to be known as the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation group? The short answer might be taken from the Extinction Rebellion poster which reads ‘There is no Planet B’ but it’s not just because there is a crisis of survival and that we need to consider sustainability. We are called to a profound respect for all living creatures, and a recognition of their contribution to the ecological balance of the whole of creation. We are invited to a more tender relationship with the earth, and to a less extractive attitude to the use of the planet’s resources.
Where did the term emerge? Unsurprisingly it sprung from the experience of peoples struggling with the impact of reckless extraction or from the direct effects of climate change – one of the earliest articles using the term is from the Melanesian Journal of Theology.
To strive to safeguard this ‘integrity of creation’ is one of the Anglican Church’s marks of authentic mission to the world. General Synod in 2020 passed a motion calling all parishes to ‘urgently examine what would be required to reach net zero emissions by 2030 in order that a plan of action can be drawn up to achieve that target’.
Can we at St Martin’s make the integrity of creation an issue of justice? Can we make bold moves to reduce our whole site energy use and perhaps generate electricity through an array of solar panels? 2030 is soon.
Jim Sikorski
