Sean Major-Campbell | Exercising stewardship over all that lives in the environment

The Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands (Anglican Church) launched a tree-planting initiative for Labour Day 2024 in celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the Diocese. Two hundred trees were planted across the Diocese in keeping with the fifth Mark of Mission which states, “To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth.” It is commendable that the Forestry Department could partner with a church to realize this environmentally supportive approach.

Churches should encourage members to take environmental concerns seriously. Too many Christians rake the yard and light a fire just before attending church. It hurts the environment. It harms others. It is not good for your health. To have dominion over the earth is to exercise stewardship over all that lives in the environment.

Last week Sunday, the Church across the globe observed the celebration of the Day of Pentecost. While the celebration focuses on the coming of the Holy Spirit, it is worthy of note that this day originally refers to the Jewish tradition of celebrating the first fruits of the harvest. The Epistle reading for the day is set in Romans 12. St. Paul in his letter to the Romans (12:22) states, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” The text becomes an appropriate reading even for environmental awareness. Leaning on the image of the fall it notes that we are in a process of becoming. A journey of healing.

*Tree-planting and gardening in general remind us of hope, potential, possibilities, and new life. It was fitting then that at Christ Church, Vineyard Town, we did our tree planting at Pentecost.

CONFUSION IN TRANSLATION

In response to my column of Sunday May 12, 2024, “The struggle to be”, a reader has asked some important questions. “Isn’t the Bible clear on homosexual relationships? Aren’t homosexuals condemned in the Bible? Shouldn’t we be condemning them when they abuse children?”

The bible may be clearer than we often care to recognise. The confusion is in translation. The word “homosexual” first appeared in the bible in 1946 when the Revised Standard Version – RSV, decided to translate two words using the English word ‘homosexual’. They even corrected their mistake of translating the Greek words malakoi and arsenokoitai in 1 Corinthians 6:9, when they decided to use the term ‘sexual perverts.’ There are many sexual perverts around. Some are even in the Church. And they may either be homosexual or heterosexual.

Many translations followed the mistake of the RSV without following up with the correction. Just read the notations of your version of the Bible and you may be surprised to see that it states in the fine print that the word was used in the RSV.

To be honest, it is not easy for pastors and bible teachers to admit mistake when they have so emphatically and convincingly led hundreds and thousands to believe their fire and brimstone preaching with their sense of control over people. It is less of a headache to continue with the prejudicial teaching. The crowd also tends to prefer continuation in whatever gives them a sense of superiority over others.

TRANSFORMATION OF UNJUST STRUCTURES

In the Bible, there is a place for determining which homosexual or heterosexual activity is being condemned. What for example is the ‘pederasty’ that is being addressed? What is the abusive sexual activity? The research shows for example that temple prostitution was condemned whether it was of a homosexual or heterosexual nature. Sex with slaves was also condemned whether it was of a homosexual or heterosexual nature. It is to be noted that the affirmation of same-gender love advanced by human rights actors, is not in relation to those situations of violation, child molestation, or temple prostitution.

The abuse of children should always be condemned, regardless of who does it. Both homosexuals and heterosexuals are to be held accountable for any violation of a child! We must beware of the temptation to become blind to crimes done in the context of heterosexual activity. To do so is to mislead our children about the many dangers lurking in their midst. In fact, children are more likely to suffer sexual abuse from heterosexual family friends and family members, simply because heterosexuals outnumber homosexuals anywhere in the world.

These are conversations that we should be having in church, but it is much easier to elicit ‘amens’ with what people are used to hearing and want to continue hearing. We do well to hear again the fourth Mark of Mission which states, “To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation.”

It will not be enough for the Church to be only pious and full of doctrines and prayers. It will have to be given to the transformation of unjust structures, some of which it has helped to sustain in history. It will not be sufficient to have a preoccupation with naming sinners. It will have to move to a preoccupation with living the teachings of Christ who in John 13:34-35 said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Fr Sean Major-Campbell is an Anglican priest and advocate for human dignity and human rights. Send feedback to seanmajorcampbell@yahoo.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.