Remembering our roots

From the Greenpeace Philippines blog

It was already 4AM when I was finally able to get myself to bed.

We had a very long day.

Yet, somehow I found it quite difficult to sleep.

It has been a long time since I’ve been to a do-it-yourself (DIY) show (not to mention perform in one) and this week I was able to go to two shows in two consecutive days and in both shows I was able to give a talk about Greenpeace’s call for an Energy [R]evolution which offers a sustainable path to quit dirty, dangerous fuels by transitioning to renewable energy and energy efficiency. Read more>>>

Creation spirituality, eco-theology and the quest for equality

I haven't really gotten the chance to blog the past few weeks as I was buried deep in paperwork for our finals at the seminary and not to mention that it also coincided with the Global Work Party on Climate Change that I was given the task of overseeing our work for Greenpeace. A lot has been learned in the past few weeks and I would just like to share some stuff that I've found around the net that I believe might be of interest to those who often visit this blog.

The Earth is Alive - a prose written by Ruel F. Pepa that I stumbled upon via ning.com which I think is a good point of reflection for those engaged in the struggle for ecological justice and environmental equity.

The United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and its international mission partners last June released a statement entitled: Ecumenical Challenge Statement by International Partners of the Philippines, which is a good document that other Christian bodies might like to see as a reference with regards to its church policy recommendations like:

That UCCP seriously considers its own personal use of bio-degradable containers and packages. (Plastics and Styrofoam are immortal and infinite and cause pollution and pose health hazards. The use of plastics or the combination of plastic and aluminium packages for food and other products should be minimised).

That UCCP encourage the establishment of a nursery for tree seedling or wildlings in home, church yards and places which are made available for tree planting purposes.

That UCCP members consume healthy and locally produced farm products. (It has been observed that food served to General Assembly delegates are characteristic f the scarcity of locally grown vegetables and locally sourced marine products eg. fish and others)

If only Evangelical bodies would also as radical as the UCCP with regards to creation care and stewardship....

Lastly, I've also been busy writing over what I have come to dub as: The Scandal of Partiality in the Epistle of James, which I've been posting as a series over at Fide Quarens Intellecttum if you're keep on issues related to equality within faith communities you might want to read the introduction that I wrote for the series.

Anyways I hope in the coming days I'd get more time to write a decent post...

Not enlightenment but wholeness

It is no secret to us all that as human beings we are always bound to feel pain to feel alone let alone feel insignificant. Because our humanity lies in how it is lived in the essence of relationship with oneself with others and most importantly with God. This constant interaction I believe helps us clarify our life perspectives, views and aspirations and how they fit in the goal of becoming fully human in Christ.

In the focal point of all this stands the cross...

...the best-known religious symbol of Christianity. The icon God's act of love in Christ's sacrifice at Calvary—"the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." It stands as a reminder of Jesus' victory over sin and death, since it is believed that through His death and resurrection He conquered death itself.

Let’s get to work….

From the Greenpeace Philippines blog

The past week leading up to last week was a rush. It has been quite a while since we have seen ourselves as part of something bigger, but then again it’s easy to be anaesthetized if much time is spent working within the framework of your organization only.

However, the Global Work Party comes as a wake-up call, not only to world leaders but for people like me, as I’ve often worked within the confines of the office.

I remember yesterday as I was speaking at the last of the various Global Work Party activities that we went to and I was wearing a TckTckTck t-shirt and I said: “I’m wearing this t-shirt to demonstrate the irony of the climate problem as TckTckTck is an unprecedented global alliance, One of over 10,000 events in nearly every country on earth organized by TckTckTck partners and supporters in 2009 representing hundreds of millions of people from all walks of life, who are united by a desire to see a strong global deal on climate change. It was made up of leading environment, development, and faith-based NGO’s, youth groups, trade unions and individuals, and we are calling for a fair, ambitious and binding climate change agreement. Read more>>>