“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,…”

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A recent TV commercial spoke of how using a certain product supports a “sustainable future”. This phrase has become more common in recent years, as has the symbol above representing sustainability. Is the future “sustainable”? I suppose it depends on what future we are talking about.

If we are referring to the management of natural resources, in the short term, there is room for discussing sustainability. Good stewardship of the earth’s resources is in everyone’s best interest. To work for a “sustainable” environment is simply a matter of good stewardship. Nothing more and nothing less.

But some of the current rhetoric surrounding “sustainability” is also saying something else. Namely, that there is no future beyond what we can create for ourselves in this world. There is nothing beyond what we can see and experience. In this respect, the language of sustainability is competeing for a view of the world and of existence which is utterly devoid of God – and authentic hope.

Christian hope is not rooted in human efforts at environmental management, in our capacities to bring about a “sustainable future”. A closer look at even what science says about the future of the created universe is that it is ultimately unsustainable. Theories may vary – Is the universe collapsing in on itself? Is it flying apart? – it hardly matters. The outcome is the same.  Your life, the world and the universe are not progressing, they are coming to an end.

It was to secure a real future that Christ Jesus died on the cross and was raised for you. In Christ Jesus God has promised to be there when the unsustainability of your life proves itself in death. Then He will raise you from the dead and usher His people into the joy of the new creation, “…to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you…”. 

There is a truly sustainable future. And God alone will bring it.

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 “May the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

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