Acts for change during climate change and biodiversity loss
Introducing a holistic approach to share hope through addressing climate change and human-wildlife conflicts
By Svenja Akwaba
After months of drought, masses of water are flowing through the dirt roads in Kenya, flooding houses and washing away the freshly planted seeds. With climate change, dry and rainy seasons become increasingly extreme and threaten people, landscapes and all of creation in many parts of the world. Besides climate change another major problem we’re facing globally today is rapid biodiversity loss. The God given balance in working ecosystems plays an important role for all life on earth, including all human life. In times like this, hope is possibly more important than ever, a hope that is spread globally but delivered locally.
In Acts 17:22-23 it is described how Paul went before a meeting in Athens, saying “For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with the inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship – and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.” Paul takes some time in Athens to walk around, observe and learn before he starts preaching the gospel, approaching it from local values, traditions and needs. He came with the intention of spreading a global hope, in a very local context. Just as Paul delivered his message through the local context of this specific time and place, so it is important for us to spread God’s message of hope through our works and words in a specific context, a context that is increasingly defined by the consequences of climate change. The question is, how can caring for God’s creation be motivated when works are not necessary to be saved?
Genesis 2:15 calls all of humanity to work and take care of God’s creation, yet we don’t ‘earn’ salvation through obedience. It is already freely given to us. There must therefore be another motivation to follow that call. When Job is in deep despair, God hears his cries and takes him on a tour through his creation in Job 38-40. There he points out the wonders of nature and hence lifts Job’s eyes away from his own problems towards the majesty of creation. In this, he directs Job’s attention to the power and care of the Maker himself. God invites Job to be in awe. The feeling of awe is an overpowering state of mind when humans experience something vast that can’t be grasped, often pointing to a higher power, pointing to God. Through awe and wonder, minds can be shifted and actions towards caring for God’s awesome creation can be initiated. However, awe can’t be simply produced, particularly when people face struggles in their daily life. To address those struggles and invite into awe, it is therefore necessary to get an idea of the local situation, just like Paul did.
Kenya is one of the countries highly affected by floods and droughts which destroy entire harvests and therefore threaten people’s livelihoods. Deforestation increases the threat and also leads to conflicts between humans and wildlife for the scarce resources. There is a very local need for action against a very global problem. The Blooming Desert Project is a holistic approach to actively reduce the consequences of climate change, mitigate conflicts between humans and wildlife, invite observers to be in awe of the Creator and therefore spread hope.
Inspired by Isaiah 35:1-31, the project aims to let dry lands bloom again, spiritually and physically. Spiritually the mission is to spread hope and share the gospel. Physically it aims to address needs and restore habitats, improving sustainable agriculture, protecting livestock and offering additional sources of income. The project delivers a sermon series in close collaboration with local pastors addressing topics like soil, trees, wildlife and agriculture from a spiritual and practical perspective. Additionally, practical activities like beekeeping, soil erosion exercises, Farming God’s Way, predator proof livestock enclosures and Safaris (among others) uplift communities, empowering them to use available resources for change.
In a time when droughts and floods are so often in the news, how valuable would it be to address them before they happen? How wonderful if we could restore the landscape to its natural capacity to nourish all life in abundance? How worthwhile would it be to share the gospel through our works for all our neighbours within creation, letting spiritual and physical deserts bloom again.
[Author bio]
Svenja Akwaba is a trained Safari Guide, has a degree in Conservation and Wildlife Management and is currently studying Systematic Theology, in particular creation care theology that motivates action. Since February she has been the Project Manager of the Blooming Desert Project which she developed as her master thesis. She lives in Kenya and Germany, where she is a member of both (friends of) A Rocha groups, and is married to Victor whom she met during her research in Kenya. If you would like to be in touch, ask questions or sign up for her Newsletter you are very welcome to reach out to [email protected] .
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