Mission Spirituality and Care for Creation: An introduction

Spiritual ecumenism is transformative: its road is long and the journey involves a permanent process of conversion, a change of mind and heart towards the fullness of life in Christ. As we listen and open ourselves to the demands of the Spirit of unity, we call upon spiritual ecumenism for the new energy we need in our faith journey. Spiritual ecumenism requires tolerance, patience, respect and also discernment and shared hope and love. Spiritual ecumenism, therefore, refers to a transformative spirituality and to a transformative experience of unity that affects persons and communities. When we apply it to mission, we envision a transformative experience as well. Key aspects of this adventure include, among others, Christian discipleship, discernment, commitment, witnessing, relationships and life-style. Communion is the main theological foundation of such a transformative experience as it draws life and consistency from the very life of the triune God. Capturing the blessing of this gift in the life of the church means being attentive to all realms of the human experience where we discover the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. One of them is the space in which mission, spirituality and care for creation come together. The International Review of Mission (IRM) Vol. LXXVIX, No. 314, Spirit and Mission: Renewing the Earth, (April 1990) echoed the San Antonio World Mission Conference (1989) in preparation for the WCC Canberra Assembly (1991) "Giver of Life--Sustain Your Creation". A number of articles, including the editorial by Christopher Duraisingh, (1) named relevant issues and directions in the last decade of the 20th century. One of the articles referred to them in these words: Our faithful response to the Triune God requires caring for creation in which we have been placed. Theological perspectives appropriate for our day see the wholeness of creation that God loves and humanity's interrelation to it. The church's missionary calling is to cooperate with God's action and intention for all the creation .... The ecumenical mission calling for our day is indeed care for the creation and its inhabitants. (2) Some years later, as we reach the end of the 21st century's first decade, the IRM welcomes again the concern, contributing to it with new insights and perspectives. This issue dedicates attention to the topic of creation at the heart of mission as a spiritual experience. Certain authors from a variety of cultures and Christian traditions have explored this rich space for growth in the Spirit and offer us their reflections, intuitions and experiences. How did they come together? The CWME Working Group on Mission and Spirituality met in Oinoi (Athens), Greece, from 22 to 27 March 2010 for the study of "Transformative Spirituality, Holistic Mission and Care for Creation". It was the third meeting of the group in its journey for deepening relations between Mission and Spirituality. Previous meetings in Manila 2008 and Geneva 2009 had established the horizon, the framework and the main areas of concern as it tried to grasp the ways in which transformative spirituality of mission can serve the life of persons and communities in these times. (3) The encounter counted on the cooperation of the WCC Climate Change Programme. Most of the articles published in this IRM issue are based on the papers presented and reflections shared in this meeting. The main purpose of this Athens encounter was to explore and identify a vision that might articulate the connection between mission in the 21st century, transformative spirituality and care for creation. The exploration was approached from theological, social, ethical and spiritual perspectives. This ecumenical conversation allowed the group to state clearly that the way we place ourselves in creation, the way we see ourselves as creatures, affects the way we relate to God, to our fellow human beings and to the whole of Creation. …