(photo compliments of Jaimi Kercher Photography)

This year friends from 22 different countries gathered together in Mombasa to reflect on Christ, Creation & Community. Many of us have been coming together for 4 years now, so this is like our family reunion. But there is always the joy of new friends who join us bringing fresh life to our conversations. We talk, worship, laugh, learn, dance, reflect and grow together each year.

In the past gatherings we have discussed the nature of the Gospel - one not of evacuation but of of transformation here on earth. We have grappled with the hard realities of reconciliation while on Rwandan soil, mourning together at the genocide cites (mostly churches). We listened to Kenyan friends process the recent post-election violence. And as we prayed for healing and peace, our South African friends anticipated returning to their homeland amid an outbreak of xenophobia. We have considered a 'spirituality of transformation' while in South Africa. We continued to untangle the legacy of apartheid and all division that crushes us. There is so much ground to cover as we address our recent past and attempt to pick up the pieces and move forward with hope in our communities.

This year was different. This year we turned our attention to God's beloved masterpiece, creation. We explored together creation theology and the implications for us. God made the cosmos, and throughout Scripture demonstrates His passion for all He has made and His on-gong commitment to this world. He dreams of a restored world... not just restored people. It would seem He cares for soil and souls... for plants, plains, panthers and people. Creation is about all of this, and so might be salvation, restoration and consummation. It is a stunning thought. So if God so loves the world (cosmos in Greek), we should as well. And what does it look like to love the world?

Together we reflected on how followers of Jesus incorporate creation care in our daily discipleship. We considered that maybe we have a blind spot... that it is not just souls God cares about, and not just bodies either. God seems to care about our souls, our bodies, and our environment! All these elements affect our life and the lives of those we all serve. So, it would seem, we must consider all these elements when we reach out to our neighborhoods. So we dreamed, we listened to stories and we began to make some changes in how we engage with our world.

For me, this felt like a huge step forward. We were making some proactive statements as we pledged to plant gardens, deal with rubbish in our neighborhoods, consume less, walk more and address energy / water / waste in our communities. Some of this is motivated in response to the new awareness of God's own love for this world. But some of us were motivated by those we serve, who are the first victims of a deteriorating ecosystem. Either way, we are changing our behaviors as part of our discipleship, as part of following the Creator / Gardner.

We needed to grieve together about the ravages of genocide and continued enmity. We needed to process violence and xenophobia. We needed to begin the process of correcting our theology. We needed to do this together as friends and fellow followers of Jesus on this continent. These candid conversations are our foundation. Now we can turn, together, and look ahead. How do we move forward as one... into the world God created, sustains, loves and is eager to restore? How can we join Him in this work as disciples and friends?

It is such a joy to be learning, growing and moving forward together in Christ!