In the Scriptures, we hear the cry of the Israelites in Egypt, the cry
of the poor and oppressed. "I have witnessed the affliction of
my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their
slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering" (Exodus 3:7).
There is also the cry of creation, the ecological cry. "
Yes, we know that all creation groans and is in agony even until now"
(Rom. 8:22).
There is a common element in these two
cries: The cry that comes from the failure to fulfill our social and
economic
obligations and to recognize our solidarity with
all humans, and the cry that comes from a lack of harmony between
humanity and nature--the despoiling of nature often justified by putting
commercial concerns before human concerns. Both cries call out to us
because of the same injustice and the same suffering.
In both
injustices, the
poor are the ones who suffer. Social injustice brings about ecologic
injustice, and ecologic injustice brings about social
injustice. As Christians we need to attune our ears to this cry and,
like the Old Testament prophets, express our just anger against this
injustice, against the exploitation of the poor and oppressed. Social
and ecological justice, closely related, are fighting the same enemy:
exploitation of the powerless, in most cases for personal gain.
Our
relationship with nature should be a familial relationship that seeks a
sustainable
development for both partners. If we want to free ourselves from all
that enslaves us, writes a professor of scripture, we must start by
living in harmony with
nature. By working
for the liberation of the poor, and by identifying with the poor, we are
liberating ourselves.
The professor ends his article by
reminding us it's not enough to acknowledge the close relationship of
social and ecological justice, we need also more study and discussion of
this relationship to help us complement their interconnectedness. As we
work toward this goal, not only will our political,
economic, and social concerns change for the better, but when we link
this change with a heightened appreciation of our ecological
responsibilities, and when all four concerns are seen as belonging to
one undivided whole, then we will experience the liberation we are all
seeking. And the Christian
response will naturally follow.