Second Course: Ecology
Chapter 5: Wholeness:
The Reconciliation of All Things
In our culture we tend to reduce the complexity to categories, thereby losing the uniqueness of each individual and situation. This is contrary to the fundamental unity in God’s diverse creation.
FRAGMENTING AN INTERCONNECTED CREATION. By ignoring the interconnectedness of creating, we generate unintended consequences because of our actions.
DUALISM. Some examples of harmful dualism are body and soul, faith and work, and faith and play.
NATIONALISM. Nationalism, favoring one country over another, is a shortcut for not allowing God to work at reconciliation and at peacemaking.
CHURCH GROWTH AND THE HOMOGENEOUS UNIT PRINCIPLE. You can grow a very large church using the homogeneous principle. But, at what cost?
POLITICAL PARTISANSHIP. Politics is all about gaining and using power. Jesus, in spite of the fact that he had infinite power, never used it in a political sense. We should ponder that example.
BARRING CERTAIN PEOPLE FROM OUR CHURCHES. We are not called to be exclusive. We are called to be lovingly inclusive.
LAMENTING OUT FRAGMENTATION. It will take years and much lament and sacrifice to repair the damages that fragmentation have caused in the church and its mission.
LIVING TOGETHER IN MORE HOLISTIC WAYS. The Quaker idea of a clearness committee decision making process.