Dear Friends,
You may have heard of the term: Red Letter Christians. It comes from the fact that some versions of the Bible print the words of Jesus in red ink.
Red Letter Christians are therefore people who emphasize the words of Jesus above all else. The teaching of Jesus is not only the focus of their understanding, but the lens through which they seek to understand everything else. I invite you to be a Red Letter Christian and be sure to invest large lumps of time reading RED.
This past week I came across another version of the Bible—a Green Letter Version. The Green Bible prints every verse that has anything to do with the creation or the environment in green ink. The subtitle is: The Priceless Message that Doesn’t Cost the Earth. Chéri video
In the Green Bible, the Lectionary Psalm for this Sunday begins in green ink: The Earth is the LORD’S and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers. [Ps. 24:1-2]. This is the single most important reason why we are called to care for the creation—because it is not ours! It all belongs to God. Sadly we have tended to see the world as a resource to exploit instead of a gift to treasure. The Bible does not remain silent about the environmental devastation we have caused.
In the green ink of the prophets we hear: The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants, for they have transgressed laws, violated the statues, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt. [Isaiah. 24:5-6].
Let us learn to read our bibles in colour—Red and Green—that we together with the earth may be saved. Peace, Alan
