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152 Theological and Historical Context Contributing to the ecumenical statement by the National Council of Churches on the environment, published in the form of an open letter in 2005 and entitled “God’s Earth is Sacred: An Open Letter to Church and Society in the United States” (http://www/nccusa.org/news.14.02.05theologicalstatement .html), was a natural response for me as an Orthodox theologian . Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has long assumed an active leadership in this field, placing ecological issues at the center of his ministry. This article examines some of his initiatives, while exploring some of the biblical and theological insights that continue to shape his ecological vision. It also presents a spiritual and sacramental interpretation of the “guiding norms for church and society” proposed by the open letter of the NCCUSA, particularly the affirmation of justice and humility, generosity and frugality, solidarity and compassion. Setting the Scene In considering the theological foundation for an ecological consciousness, I sometimes find it useful to journey back to the story of creation. Whenever we think of the Genesis account of creation, we tend to ignore our connection to the environment. Perhaps it is our natural reaction—or perhaps it is a sign of arrogance—but we often overemphasize our creation “in the image of God” (Gen. 1:26) and overlook our creation from “the dust of the ground” (Gen. 2:7). Yet our “heavenliness” should not overshadow our “earthliness.” A New Heaven and a New Earth: Orthodox Christian Insights from Theology, Spirituality, and the Sacraments John Chryssavgis O RT H O D OX C H R I S T I A N I N S I G H TS 153 Most people forget that we human beings did not even get a day to ourselves in Genesis; we shared the sixth day with the creeping and crawling things of the world (Gen. 1:24–26). There is a binding unity and continuity that we share with all of God’s creation; it is helpful to recall this truth. Of course, in more recent years we have been painfully reminded of this truth when we learn of the extinction of flora and fauna, witness soil degradation and forest clearance, and suffer from the effects of air and water pollution . However, our urgent concern for the environment does not result from any superficial threat or even some sentimental romanticism. Rather, it arises from our effort to honor and dignify God’s creation. It is a way of paying attention to “the mourning of the land” (Hosea 41:3) and “the groaning of creation” (Rom. 8:22). This is the reason why the Ecumenical Patriarchate has organized, among other initiatives, a number of international and interdisciplinary symposia over the last decade: ones in the Aegean Sea (1995) and the Black Sea (1997), along the Danube River (1999) and in the Adriatic Sea (2002), in the Baltic Sea (2003), on the Amazon River (2006), and on the Mississippi River (2009). Like the air that we breathe, water is a source of life; if defiled, the very essence of our existence is threatened. Tragically, however, we appear to be caught up in selfish lifestyles that repeatedly ignore the constraints of nature , constraints neither deniable nor negotiable. There will be some things that we learn about our planet’s capacity for survival that we will discover only when things are beyond the point of no return. Initiatives and Activities of the Ecumenical Patriarchate The environmental initiatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate date back to the mid-1980s with the third session of the Pre-Synodal Pan-Orthodox Conference held in Chambésy (October 28–November 6, 1986). Representatives at this meeting expressed concern for the abuse of the natural environment, especially as this appears in more affluent Western societies. The meeting also underlined the harm of war, racism, and inequality on human societies and the environment . The emphasis was on leaving a better world for future generations. Several inter-Orthodox meetings followed on the subject of “Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation”: the first of three consultations was held in Sofia, Bulgaria (1987). A third inter-Orthodox consultation was held in Minsk, Belarus (1989), while an environmental program was also piloted in Ormylia, Greece (1990). The second—and perhaps most significant—of these consultations was held in Patmos, Greece (1988), to mark the nine-hundredth anniversary of the historic Monastery of St. John the Theologian. The...

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