The top leaders are genuinely concerned.  They want to save our polluted earth.  They mean so well.  They´ve made Copenhagen to a “Hopenhagen”.  COP15 is the name of the conference meaning ”Conference of the parties”.  There have been 14 already without success.  They cling to the hope of the 15th one with the slogan “Hope for a World that Can´t Wait!”.

But they have no real hope.  They feel politically responsible all right, but they don´t feel repentantly responsible to the Creator who is the only One who has the deed of this globe and the One we´ve sinned against.  God is ruled out however.  All the “big shots” thronged  are their own “gods”.

“Obama is coming!” is the desperate cry of hope these days.  But this pseudo-messiah who is due on Friday the 18th  can´t save the world.

“Salvation is of the LORD!” the Bible says (Jon. 2:9).  Yes, He has thoughts of salvation for the individual as well as His whole work of creation.  Rom. 8:19-22 has some relevant words about the longing of His creation for deliverance.  It´s ”groaning” – patiently and with ”earnest expectation”.  Its hope will not be put to shame. 

If you care to read Rom. 8 in its full context please notice that the deliverance in question has to do with a coming “revealing of the sons of God” (v.19), i.e. a wonderful display of the final redemption which is not complete till our frail bodies are redeemed too.  Just wait and see!

”You may be right”, some of my politician friends may say, ”but we want a solution – a ”redemption” if you will – right now!”

But it´s already there within your reach!  The solution is Jesus Christ claiming to be “the way, the truth, and the life” in all aspects of life.  There´s not such a thing as being a born again Christian at the same time mistreating God´s creation.  A new love is born in such a heart caring for all that He has created, the nature as well as the individual.  The big conference in Copenhagen (a huge media event, indeed) is called “United Nations Climate Change Conference”.  Notice please the word “change” (Obama´s favorite word).  But that change must take place in our hearts in the first place and not at some consensus panel at an international conference.  It happens alone, before God, in humility.

No, we can´t make the world better, “for the form of this world is passing away” (1 Cor. 7:31).  The gospel is not about making the world better, but about saving us “from this present evil world” (Gal. 1:4). “Be saved from this perverse generation” is the message for our time (Acts 2:40).

The UN will not succeed.  But the Lord will to the letter!  “My counsel shall stand!”  and:  “My salvation shall not linger!”  (Isa. 46:10, 13).  We may say as Billy Graham once said at a press conference:  “I´m an optimist.  I´ve just read the Book of Revelation and it ends well!”

Nobody has the right to call me starry-eyed.  A follower of Christ is very much present in this world and attentive in his love for God´s creation as well as for our neighbor.  We don´t have a political program, but we do have a gospel commitment.  And we go “not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”  Zech. 4:6.


-jn-

16.12.09