COP29 - 12 November 2024
God the Creator - a biodiverse creation

reflection 

Job, a narrative more usually associated with the issues of suffering, wisdom, righteousness and the justice of God, may not seem the most obvious book of the Bible to look for a description of creation. We’re pretty sure that the first couple of chapters of Genesis, or perhaps some of the Psalms would be the more usual go to, but not today.

At the start of Job, we witness conversations between God and Satan, during which God agrees that Satan can test Job to the limit of endurance, but cannot take his life, all in an effort to make Job curse God. Job loses his sons and daughters, his brother, his servants and his livestock, then he is afflicted with painful sores all over his body.  Three of Job’s friends journey to be with him in his suffering, and for seven days and seven nights they sit with him, in silence. And then there follow 35 chapters of long monologues between Job and his friends as they each express their separate opinions about the cause of Job’s troubles.

God remains silent until Chapter 38 of the narrative, and then he speaks in a most unexpected way. He makes no justification, nor provides any commentary about Job’s situation, instead he describes creation and his role in it. He talks of the earth, the sea, of day and night. He describes the depths and expanses of the universe, light and darkness, the vagaries of weather, the intricacy of the night sky. He talks about animals, large and small, how they are nourished, their procreation, their habitats. He marvels at their strength and speed. In chapters 38 and 39 of Job we see creation through the eyes of the creator. These are powerful words which appear to satisfy Job. And coming where they do, at the end of a discourse on some of the deep things of life, we should be left in no doubt of the importance of creation - it speaks of God’s power and might.

You won’t find the word biodiversity in the Bible but that is what God created when he created the world. He created an intricate network of bacteria, fungi, plants, insects, mammals, birds, fish (the list could go on) that work together in co-dependent ecosystems. He created the sun that provides the light that encourages plant growth and provides warmth. He created the minerals in rocks that degrade to form fertile soils. He created plants that are pollinated by insects and provide food for animals and humans. He created water that nourishes everything that lives and grows. This is just scratching the surface of biodiversity. God has created an environment in which we and all living things can thrive together. No wonder he declared it to be good.

Over the next few days we’ll be looking at what happens when creation starts to crumble because of our actions, but for the moment, let’s rejoice in God’s good creation.

“It’s an intriguing concept that God has written not one book, but two. The book of God’s Word we call ‘Scripture’ and the book of God’s Works ‘Nature’. Both are divine revelations, the disclosure of God’s glory in nature and of his grace in Scripture. Moreover he invites us to study both, so that nature study and Bible study should go hand in hand.”
(John Stott in People My Teachers)

prayer

How wonderful, O Lord, are the works of your hands!

The heavens declare your glory, the arch of the sky displays your handy work.

In your love you have given us the power to behold the beauty of your world in all its splendour.

The sun and the stars, the valleys and the hills, the rivers and the lakes, all disclose your presence.

The roaring breakers of the sea tell of your awesome might;

the beasts of the field and the birds of the air proclaim your wondrous will.

In your goodness you have made us able to hear the music of the world.

The voices of loved ones revealed to us that you are in our midst.

A divine song sings through all creation.

(David Adam in The Rhythm of Life: Celtic Daily Prayer)

at cop29

Today is the first day of the World Leaders Climate Action Summit. The summit is a platform for major announcements and provides momentum for the rest of the COP conference. Here are some key aspects of what happens at at such summits:

• High-Level Discussions: World leaders share their countries' climate achievements, set new goals, and call for more ambitious actions from other nations.

• New Commitments: Leaders announce new sectoral commitments to reduce emissions, such as targets for methane reduction, renewable energy capacity, and coal phase-out.

• Adaptation and Mitigation: Focus on both adaptation (preparing for climate impacts) and mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas emissions) strategies.

• Climate Finance: Discussions on climate finance, including setting new global climate finance goals and mobilising funds to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change.

• Loss and Damage Fund: Progress on the loss and damage fund, which aims to compensate climate-vulnerable countries for the impacts of climate change.

• Collaboration: Engagement with civil society, business leaders, youth, indigenous peoples, and philanthropists to foster cross-sector teamwork and innovative climate solutions.