Extract from Called to Care: A Christian response to the climate challenge of our generation by Jo Knight (Inter-Varsity Press, 2025). Copyright © Jo Knight, 2025. Used with permission. Photo supplied by author.
What if we took God’s call seriously?
Whether we live amid the dry savannah or the energy of urban life, we want the people and places we love to thrive for generations to come. We are facing a climate crisis that impacts the most vulnerable the hardest, threatening everything we hold dear. By coming together, we can work to protect our common home.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to care for people and the natural world, and now is the time to take action. What if we fully embraced and integrated this calling into every aspect of our lives? Could our efforts lead to a transformative response to the defining challenge of our time?
This book presents stories, ideas and actions to encourage us to re-evaluate our purpose and embrace God’s vision for the future. Addressing climate change is crucial because caring for God’s creation is a profound expression of love for God, our neighbours and future generations. As new creations with God’s Spirit within us, we are called to renew our minds and be inspired to undertake the good works that God has prepared for us. This is God’s work in and through the Church.
Climate justice is about love in action. And who better to care and live out love than followers of Jesus? Our actions are love offerings that carry down the rushing streams and whisper on the wind to glorify our heavenly Father. Love beckons us to elevate the urgent transformations needed at every level of society for the sake of God’s people and the planet, for everything we cherish. Climate justice prioritises those most affected, placing them at the forefront of our mission for survival.
The ideas and efforts that have inspired this book
I wrote this book because my work in international development and advocacy enables me to collaborate with people around the world as we tackle the challenges of poverty, climate change and injustice. Witnessing the global Church in action across diverse communities has been an incredible privilege. Two decades of advocating for global issues have taught me the importance of engaging with our world through both prayer and action, and I have come to appreciate the remarkable strength we possess when we unite as a Church.
I live in Melbourne, Australia, with my husband, Peter, an Anglican minister, and our two school-aged boys. I feel a deep compassion for our hurting and warming world, and I serve as the CEO of a non-profit organisation called Anglican Overseas Aid. I’ve always pursued a vocation that tries to make a difference in one way or another. This started with work as a lawyer representing refugees, and since then I’ve been involved in various efforts to combat poverty and climate change. I’ve advocated at international forums on behalf of the Church and have empowered countless everyday Christians to speak up for global justice to their elected leaders. These efforts go beyond my work and volunteering into my everyday living. I try to thoughtfully consider all aspects of life, from my family’s weekly groceries to our values and practices, as we seek to live simply and fairly in our context.
I cherish the Church and am saddened that our response to pressing global issues often seems to lack vision, involvement and heartfelt action. Too often, we have become complacent in affluent societies, and now is the moment for us to awaken to our responsibility for the well-being of our world. In doing so, we will grow as disciples of Jesus.
You may be reading this book because you are concerned – either quietly or with alarm – about the impact of climate change, and you are seeking a faith-based response. It can be challenging to find like-minded Christians or discern how to move forward. Perhaps you yearn for the Church to broaden its focus to address the needs of the disadvantaged and the environmental crisis, in addition to personal salvation. When we fail to act in our world, we all suffer. Let’s confront these challenges together.
How to read this book
One way to read this book is by working through a chapter each week during Lent and continuing after Easter, as our commitment to discipleship extends beyond a single season. The structure and design provide space to reflect and implement action. Whether paced for daily reading or longer periods, considered alone or with a group, may these pages help us navigate the challenges and joys of our Christian calling.
The book is divided into three parts, each framed with a ‘call’ and ‘response’:
- Part 1 explores what the Bible says about our role in God’s kingdom, justice and care for creation, and we will encounter a big gospel vision with implications for our discipleship and the Church’s mission. We are reminded of our hope for God’s world, where we allow God to inform our whole lives and, in doing so, stand up for the poor and for justice and care for creation. We rediscover and envisage what the Church can do, and learn from stories of the Church in action, leading with urgent hopefulness.
- Part 2 connects us to the stories of people on the front lines of climate change. It calls out the problem and root causes in our Western systems and the silence or complicity of the Church in response. As we become more aware of the injustices and heartache, we turn to God in prayer and lament, address eco-anxiety and learn from global voices and perspectives.
- Part 3 encourages us to contribute to hopeful change. It tells stories of individuals embracing their calling to care, providing models that we can follow. This section includes opportunities for reflection on our own callings and action plans for the next steps. It explores how our individual actions, along with collective efforts, grow momentum and meaningful change as we strive for the beautiful tomorrow of God’s renewed creation, free of poverty.
The book features summaries of interviews with a diverse group of practitioners, theologians and wise leaders who bring unique insights. I refer to them as contributors. They come from various backgrounds, with some focusing on environmental issues in high-consumer contexts, and others deeply rooted in traditional or Indigenous cultures:
- Katharine Hayhoe is an internationally acclaimed climate scientist and communicator, an academic and the author of Saving Us.
- Ruth Valerio is an environmentalist and theologian, a social activist and leader, a public commentator and author of Saying Yes to Life.
- James Bhagwan leads the Pacific Conference of Churches, championing ecological justice and responsibility.
- Dave Bookless is a theologian and conservationist, the author of Planetwise and a prominent figure leading global Church creation care.
- Ray Minniecon is an Aboriginal Australian elder, pastor and advocate for First Nations’ care for creation.
- Kuki (Lalbiakhlui) Rokhum is an advocate in both the Indian and global Church; she is a leader in creation care and advocacy initiatives.
- C. B. Samuel is an Indian leader known for his work in integral mission and as an elder within the faith community.
- Tony Rinaudo is acclaimed as the founder of Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration, and an agronomist, missionary and author, contributing significantly to nature-based solutions.
Stories move us to action
As we read on, we will encounter heartfelt stories that inspire reflection and demonstrate what is possible. Our narratives hold the power to transform us; facts alone are not enough to drive action. I think that is why Jesus used stories so powerfully in his ministry. This is particularly true as we confront the climate crisis, where stories and connections are essential to activate shared values, moving and convicting us, and fostering hope.
Engaging with stories and models of holistic discipleship equips us to integrate these practices into our lives. Discipleship involves a commitment to following Jesus and actively engaging with the world through justice, advocacy and compassionate living; it is a state reflected in how we live, not just what we believe. Therefore, my hope is that this book will not simply be about gathering more information for you as a reader, but that it will inspire a change in your everyday practices.
This book offers space to discover your calling to care for the world, reminding us that our life experiences shape our choices and agency. Love motivates our actions, as expressed in 1 John 4:19: ‘We love because he first loved us.’ Our discipleship journey involves loving action and embracing counter-cultural values that promote maturity and simplicity in life. And as we do so, we become more like Jesus.
Integrating faith and climate justice
You might still be asking, ‘What relevance does climate change have to my discipleship?’ or, ‘Isn’t saving souls a higher priority?’ But consider this: could we be missing something in God’s plan and intention here on earth? What wisdom does God have for us regarding our role in loving his world, people and all in creation? Don’t we want a faith that connects and makes sense of this and every challenge our world faces? What will we miss if we don’t engage?
Jesus warns us of the consequences of inaction: ‘For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink … Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me’ (Matthew 25:42, 45b). What if someone’s hunger or thirst was due to the climate crisis? What if the real ‘least of these’ in our time are those most affected by climate change?
There is often silence or even hostility within the Church regarding creation care and justice beyond simple charity. Many local churches downplay climate issues, viewing them as irrelevant or an aspect of partisan culture wars. Instead of addressing the root causes of the world’s problems, we tend to focus on surface-level solutions. Environmental issues or structural justice and inequality have been overlooked in recent ‘Western’ Christian traditions and high-consumer contexts. Terms such as ‘Western’ or ‘the Global North’ are imperfect ways (which bear little resemblance to geography) to broadly refer to affluent contexts where people consume with relative abundance and they are used pragmatically in this book. It’s important to recognise that inequality and diverse experiences of poverty also persist within these societies. Meanwhile, most people around the world experience life differently. They confront extreme poverty and growing inequality in environments where the natural resources are heavily burdened, struggling to provide the basics for survival. These tend to be lower- and middle-income nations representing around two-thirds of the world’s population. This group is sometimes called the ‘Majority World’ or ‘the Global South’.
Instead of avoiding these issues, let us draw strength from Jesus’ words: ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you’ (John 20:21). We are called to be agents of transformation and good. A growing movement in the Church is advocating for justice and creation care. However, we need to engage more people to respond to this call.
Our journey through these pages begins with biblical perspectives and ends with practical actions for addressing these challenges. We will discover that God’s love for creation and justice for the poor is deeper than we might have realised. Our resurrected Jesus offers hope, and the Spirit empowers the Church to actively participate in God’s renewal.
So, together, let’s grapple with this question. It’s a big one.
What if we took God’s call to care for people and our planet seriously?
It’s a question that takes us deep into our story with God.
It questions what we are saved for.
It invites us to unpack what we believe about God’s plan for the future.
And it clarifies our role as God’s image-bearers in our relationship with all in creation, inspiring us to play our part in God’s kingdom of justice and flourishing.
Let’s begin.
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