SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

10 MAY 2026

COLLECT OF THE DAY

O God, you reveal yourself in love:
pour into our hearts such love towards
you,
that we, loving you in all things and
above all things,
may obtain your promises,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit,
one God, now and ever.
Amen.

Acts 17:22-31

Acts 17:22–31 is Paul’s speech at the Areopagus in Athens. He speaks to people shaped by philosophy, civic religion, and many gods. From an ecological point of view, this passage is deeply significant because Paul presents God not as distant from creation, but as the Creator who gives life, sustains all things, and is near to every creature.

Athens was a city of temples, statues, trade, and intellectual debate. It was prosperous, but like many empires, prosperity depended on extraction of land, labor, and resources. Paul sees the many idols and begins with an altar “To an Unknown God.” He uses their spiritual searching as an opening.

Ecologically, modern society also has many “idols”: endless growth, consumerism, fossil fuel dependence, profit without limits, and the belief that technology alone will save us.

A recent study has shown that proposed data centres in Cape Town would use up to a third of our electricity – AI and endless data are becoming as gods to us.

“The God who made the world and everything in it…”

God as Creator, not Commodity (vv. 24–25). Paul begins with creation. God made the world; therefore the earth is not a possession to exploit but a gift to steward. If God made “everything in it,” then forests, oceans, rivers, animals, soil, and atmosphere all belong within God’s care.

“He is not served by human hands, as though he needed anything.”

God does not need our buildings, wealth, or sacrifices. This challenges systems that destroy ecosystems in the name of religion, prestige, or economic gain.  We must treat nature as our kin, not as a resource to be exploited.

“He himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things.”

The Interdependence of life (vv. 25–28) Life, breath, and sustenance come from God. Breath links humanity with the atmosphere, trees, and all living beings. We are biologically and spiritually interconnected. In the Pacific they talk of the need to ‘reweave the ecological mat”.

“In him we live and move and have our being.”

This is one of the Bible’s strongest ecological affirmations. Human life is embedded in God’s sustaining presence. We do not stand outside nature. We live within a web of dependence.

“From one ancestor he made all nations…”

We have a shared Earth (v. 26).Paul rejects divisions of superiority. All peoples share one origin and one earth. Ecologically, climate change, pollution, drought, and war ignore borders. Humanity shares a common home.

When recently asked what his stance on migration is – Pope Leo said “ I would change the question – what is the global North doing to help the Global south in its situation that forces them to migrate”.

“An image formed by the art and imagination of mortals.”

Critique of Idolatry (v. 29). Idolatry is trusting what human hands make more than the living God. Today idols may be markets, militarism, or lifestyles that consume creation.

Repentance and Ecological Conversion (v. 30)

“Now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”

Repentance means turning around. Ecologically this means:

• turning from waste to simplicity
• from greed to justice
• from extraction to restoration
• from indifference to care
• from domination to humility

Hope and Accountability (v. 31).God judges the world in righteousness. Ecological destruction is not morally neutral. Yet judgment also means hope: injustice and devastation do not have the last word.

Acts 17:22–31 teaches that creation belongs to God, all life depends on God, humanity is one family, idols distort our relationship with the earth, and repentance means restoring right relationship with creation. It is a call to ecological faithfulness in an age of crisis.

1 Peter 3:13-22

1 Peter 3:13–22 was written to Christian communities facing hostility and marginalization. The passage encourages believers to remain faithful, to suffer for doing good rather than evil, and to place their hope in the risen Christ. Read through an ecological lens, this text speaks not only to human endurance, but also to the healing of creation, the ethics of gentle witness, and God’s saving relationship with the whole earth.

The passage begins: “Who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good?” (v.13). In ecological terms, “doing good” includes caring for land, water, air, and vulnerable communities affected by environmental destruction.

The concept of ‘living well or buen vivir” comes from the indigenous people of South America. Rooted in Indigenous Andean traditions, it values harmony between people, community, nature, and spirituality rather than endless economic growth. It emphasizes collective wellbeing, ecological balance, reciprocity, dignity, and living within the limits of the earth.

 Today many who defend rivers, forests, oceans, and climate justice face opposition from political or economic powers. Like the early Christians, ecological discipleship may involve resistance, misunderstanding, or suffering. Peter reminds believers that suffering for righteousness is blessed (v.14). This offers encouragement to those who work for environmental justice in difficult circumstances.

Verse 15 says, “Always be ready to make your defense… yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” This is deeply important for ecological witness. Environmental advocacy can sometimes become angry or despairing, yet Peter calls for truth spoken with humility. Creation care is not only protest; it is also persuasion, teaching, listening, and inviting others into a better way of living. Gentleness reflects the manner of Christ and models a healed relationship with the earth, where domination gives way to respect.

Verses 18–19 turn to Christ: “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all… put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” Christ’s suffering reveals that God enters the pain of the world. Ecologically, this includes the groaning of creation described elsewhere in Scripture. Polluted rivers, burning forests, extinct species, and climate disasters are signs of a wounded creation. Yet resurrection means death and destruction do not have the final word. The risen Christ is the beginning of new creation.

The most striking ecological theme appears in verses 20–21 with the story of Noah and the flood. Water becomes both judgment and salvation. In the flood narrative, human violence and corruption had damaged creation, yet God preserves life through the ark, saving not only humans but  animals together. The rainbow covenant is with the whole of creation. Peter uses this story as an image of baptism. Baptism is not merely private cleansing; it is entry into a renewed covenantal life. Through water, believers are joined to God’s purposes for restoration. Since water is sacred in baptism, it should also be protected in rivers, wetlands, and seas.

In the Anglican Church of Canada baptismal covenant, a creation-care promise was added in 2013. The congregation and candidate are asked:

“Will you strive to safeguard the integrity of God’s creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the Earth?”

“I will, with God’s help.”

This means that in baptism, caring for creation is understood as part of Christian discipleship—not optional extra work, but a promise linked to following Christ. It connects spiritual life with practical action: protecting ecosystems, reducing harm, and working for environmental justice.

The Noah story also reminds us that climate-related flooding today disproportionately harms the poor. Unlike Noah, many communities have no ark. Therefore ecological discipleship includes preparing for disasters, protecting vulnerable people, and addressing the causes of climate disruption.

Finally, verses 21–22 proclaim the exaltation of Christ over all powers. This includes every system of greed, exploitation, and ecological destruction. No empire, corporation, or ideology has ultimate authority. Christ reigns, and therefore Christians are free to live differently.

In conclusion, 1 Peter 3:13–22 calls believers to courageous goodness, gentle witness, hope amid suffering, reverence for water, solidarity with the vulnerable, and trust in the risen Christ who is making all creation new.

John 14: 15-21

The gospel of John 14:15–21 forms part of Jesus’ farewell discourse, spoken to the disciples before his death. The disciples are anxious about loss, uncertainty, and the future. Jesus responds not with abandonment, but with promises of love, obedience, the coming of the Spirit, and continuing relationship. Read through an environmental lens, this passage offers a theology of interconnectedness, divine presence within creation, and a call to live responsibly in the world God loves.

The passage opens: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (v.15). In John’s Gospel, love is never merely emotional; it is expressed in practice. Environmental discipleship therefore begins with action. To love Christ includes living in ways that honour the Creator’s gifts—using resources wisely, protecting ecosystems, reducing waste, and standing with communities harmed by pollution or climate change. Love becomes visible in ecological ethics.

Jesus then promises, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever” (v.16). The Advocate, or Holy Spirit, is not temporary help but enduring divine presence. In environmental terms, this reminds believers that God has not abandoned creation. Even in a time of ecological crisis, the Spirit remains active, sustaining life, inspiring wisdom, and empowering communities to seek healing and justice. We are reminded of Psalm 104:30.

“When you send forth your Spirit, they are created;
and you renew the face of the earth.”

Verse 17 names the Spirit as “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.” In John, “the world” often refers to systems alienated from God. Environmentally, many destructive systems are built on falsehood: the illusion of limitless growth, the denial of ecological limits, and the belief that nature exists only for exploitation. The Spirit of truth exposes these illusions and leads people into honest recognition of environmental damage and moral responsibility.

Jesus continues, “You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” The language of abiding is central in John. God’s presence dwells with and within believers. This challenges a spirituality detached from the material world. Human beings are embodied creatures who breathe air, drink water, eat food from the earth, and live within ecosystems. To abide in God is not escape from creation but deeper participation in God’s life-giving presence within it.

In verse 18 Jesus says, “I will not leave you orphaned.” Environmental degradation often creates forms of abandonment: polluted neighbourhoods, barren landscapes, species loss, and communities left vulnerable to disaster.

Climate change refugees may have to leave their traditional lands, cultures and even the sacred resting places of their ancestors. Christ’s promise opposes abandonment. God remains present with those who suffer ecological harm and calls the church to solidarity and restoration.

Verse 19 adds, “Because I live, you also will live.” Resurrection hope is not only about life after death; it is the power of new life now. This speaks to environmental renewal—damaged rivers restored, degraded land healed, communities rebuilt, and new habits formed. Christian hope resists both despair and complacency. Hope is a desperately needed gift that we bring to the environmental movement

Finally, verses 20–21 emphasize mutual indwelling: “I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” Reality is relational. Humans are not isolated individuals but exist through relationships with God, neighbour, and the wider earth community. Environmental harm results when these relationships are broken.

Thus John 14:15–21 calls believers to love expressed in action, openness to truth, trust in the Spirit’s presence, and participation in God’s healing of creation. It invites an ecological discipleship rooted in communion, responsibility, and hope.