Seek first the kingdom of God
Two weeks ago, tropical storm Megi hit the Philippines, killing 42 people, and causing 17,000 people to flee. As Rodel Lasco says, ‘climate risks and climate hazards are an everyday part of daily life’.
Rodel has lived in the Philippines, south of Manila, all his life, and has spent the last 40 years as both scientist and pastor.
‘I was five or six years old, reading books about science and I was fascinated. I wanted to be an astronaut actually, I wanted to go to the moon. I didn’t realise it was even possible, it was before 1969.’
Rather than fly to the moon, Rodel has stayed more grounded, instead combining his love for science with his love for nature. He first started writing for the IPCC (the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) in 2000.
‘It was quite different then, it was quiet. After the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 with Al Gore, there was a lot more interest. It used to be that this worked happened in an echo chamber among scientists, but now many more people are joining the call for action on stopping global warming.’
‘Having seen that arc, I’m encouraged. Of course I want to see more action, but I’ve seen so much improvement over the last 10-15 years. I can see there’s hope, the wheels turn slowly. That I think is the benefit of being older, is seeing that change. I know the end of the story will be victorious, that God will renew the earth. I believe humans are capable of so much good.’
These are particularly poignant words to hear from Rodel given that the latest IPCC report, which he helped to author, concludes with very high confidence that there is ‘a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all’.
It’s also striking given the Philippines’ exposure to climate impacts, one of the most vulnerable countries despite contributing less than half a percent of global emissions. A large fraction of GDP is lost each year to these impacts, not to mention the immeasurable loss of individual lives.
How does Rodel keep going in such circumstances? ‘I’m not giving up yet on humanity being able to see we have a common danger. We are all sinners, it’s like we’re in one big boat, with holes. We need to plug the big holes first, but if we don’t plug the small holes, the boat will still sink. There aren’t any easy answers, there’s only the possibility of dialogue in good faith.
Even now I am a pastor, and I have been serving in the same church for 40 years. In fact day one of my career is also day one of serving in that church. So I have been doing both practically all my life, teaching in the university and undertaking research while also on Sunday preaching in church.
My Christian convictions help me appreciate nature and the study of it even more because I know God created it. And my experience in science and research helps me appreciate the Bible better because I can study it like a scientist.
From the very earliest time, both my faith and science have gone together. I have held to the verse in Matthew 6:33 and found in it a stability to hold to. I learned it in the King James Version: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these. things shall be added unto you.”‘
Dr Rodel D. Lasco is a trustee of A Rocha International. He is an author of several reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the 2007 co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. He is a member of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) in the Philippines, and an affiliate professor at the University of the Philippines.
The Field Notes podcast, hosted by Peter Harris and Bryony Loveless, is an exploration of the ideas, practice and experience making a difference on the ground, through conversations with people who really know what they are talking about – from conservation scientists, explorers and biologists, to artists, entrepreneurs and theologians. They have hopeful stories to tell. To listen to the full interview with Rodel visit the Field Notes Podcast at www.arocha.org/en/field-notes-podcast/
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Does A Rocha have videos for church education committees to show for their members?
Hi Fay Brattain, A Rocha has videos for churches on our Vimeo and Youtube channels. We recommended these:
1. Start by sharing with this one with your congregation: “Why should we care for God’s creation?” https://vimeo.com/811902372
2. We also recommend this 5-part video series called ‘Elements of Hope.’ Each video offers a free discussion guide, linked in the Youtube description. See all 5 of the videos here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0awZ68Ahq0&list=PLHT_jme7llTLSVBtQmohEG-et5v-_rT8q
3. We also have a great theological series on caring for creation here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHT_jme7llTJvbXyvpgqpacrrYOlEVmLp&si=QjswEWoZIwd91DY1
Lastly, feel free to explore additional videos on our Youtube or Vimeo at the links below:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArochaOrg
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/arochaint
Feel free to contact us with any questions. Thank you!