Bóg, człowiek, natura. Teologiczna odpowiedzialność za naturę

Abstract

The Judeo-Christian revelation unveils to us secrets of God’s various presence among the creation. The statement placed at the beginning of the Bible about undefined at that time the “ruach” moving over the face of the waters, contains this message: the world is the place of the Creator’s residence. The above consideration is intended to reveal a few aspects of this truth from the practical point of view. Our existence, though wanted and in terms of quality the most important, cannot be treated as totalitarian in relation to the whole creation. On the contrary, God reveals to us the truth about Himself and the eschatic future of the cosmos through the creation (see Rev 21,1). The world given to us serves concrete purpose, it is not the superior implicite value. It teaches human being to come closer to God and serve Him (Ps 8; Isa 6,3). Such vision of reality compels to define certain priorities relating to nature. Though God’s stamps exist in this well-ordered matter, yet human being is the most important value of this world. And though the whole creation (cosmos) is redeemed, this happened because of the man, who is not only resembling God but created in His image. The surrounding world, its beauty and secrets, can be the source of revival of thinking and conduct. For that matter the role of theology relies on extraction of this truth and made it known to the contemporary man who is seemed to forget sometimes about strict dependence with the created world. In this case the Eucharistic cult has got a special task. This sacramental thanksgiving is the most appropriate path of faith from the pedagogical point of view. Faith cannot ignore what God had offered – “in many and various ways God spoke” (Heb 1,1). We also know that the One through Whom God spoke most fully is His Son. The New Testament calls Jesus “Peace” (Eph 2,14). The reference to Hebrew shalom is not a negative notion expressing lack of war. Shalom is reality which designates prosperity, welfare and abundance of goods (Ps 147,14) and it has got very close connection with the nature in the biblical perspective. In the book of Daniel the whole creation praises God, what should be for us a model to be introduced into life.