A Personal Reflection by Professor Darren Brouwer
I am convicted that the Scripture portrays a vision of God’s shalom that is for the flourishing of all of God’s glorious creation. This includes people of course, but also plants and trees, fish and birds and all creatures, and watersheds and ecosystems and cities and farms, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and so on.
All of creation is God’s handiwork and I am convinced that God loves all of it – it is His after all! – and that God’s big plan of redemption is to heal not only the brokenness between us and God, but also the brokenness amongst people, the brokenness in places, and even the brokenness in ecosystems and planetary systems so that all of creation will flourish and praise its creator.
I am also convinced that God somehow mysteriously works through us – the Church – calling us to join Him and be part of this big plan of redemption, to be a signpost of His coming kingdom in which He will one day bring about this flourishing and shalom to His creation.
Dr. Darren Brouwer
(Associate Professor of Chemistry)
In my work with chemistry and environmental studies students at Redeemer University College, we are using the scientific knowledge and skills that God has blessed us with to uncover some of the “brokenness” in the watersheds in our city. Our work is revealing the locations of sewage contamination in creeks which flow into Cootes Paradise, a place within our city of immense beauty, tremendous ecological importance for birds and fish and other wildlife, yet a great deal of brokenness due to all sorts of stresses that do not allow this place, its creatures, and perhaps even us to fully flourish as I think God intends.
I am also part of team of people that have helped launch A Rocha here in Hamilton, seeking to show God’s love to all of creation through environmental education, demonstrating sustainable agriculture, and carrying out conservation science work. The work of A Rocha provides an opportunity for Christians to be a witness to the broader environmental community, but also to help the church live into its calling to care for God’s creation. Exciting things are happening here in Hamilton for A Rocha as we lay plans for an Urban Centre from which this work can be carried out.
Proposed Urban Centre for A Rocha in Hamilton
I think what is interesting and exciting about this work is that there are many people outside the Church who genuinely care deeply for God’s creation, (or “the environment” since they may not acknowledge God as the creator). Christians have not always done a great job living into this Biblical vision of shalom and flourishing of creation. Consequently many people see the church and Christian faith as irrelevant, or perhaps even antagonistic, to their genuine care for the world. My hope is that the work of A Rocha, our work at Redeemer, and the work of a growing number of Christians in this area will communicate and demonstrate to our city and world that our God – and the people of God – really do care about all of God’s creation. I think it is an exciting opportunity for the Church to live more fully into its mission.
Darren Brouwer is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Redeemer University College in Hamilton ON, serves on the local advisory team for A Rocha in Hamilton, and attends First Christian Reformed Church where this “testimony” was recently shared as part of a service about God’s shalom and the city.
Top photo: Darren Brouwer with Luke Wilson (A Rocha Ontario Director) and Mark van der Woerd (A Rocha Canada Board Member) at the recent Stories and Song event in Hamilton.
