all. Ifwe do not, we burden our consciences with the weight of having denied the existence of others.
That iswhy theNewZealand bishops askedwhat the commandment “Thou shall not kill”means when
“twenty percent of the world’s population consumes resources at a rate that robs the poor nations and
future generations ofwhat theyneed to survive”.
78
VII. THEGAZEOF JESUS
96.
Jesus took up the biblical faith in God the Creator, emphasizing a fundamental truth: God is
Father (cf.
Mt
11:25). In talkingwith his disciples, Jesus would invite them to recognize the paternal
relationship God has with all his creatures. Withmoving tenderness he would remind them that each
one of them is important in God’s eyes: “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of
them is forgotten before God” (
Lk
12:6). “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor
gather into barns, and yet your heavenlyFather feeds them”
(
Mt
6:26).
97.
TheLordwas able to invite others to be attentive to the beauty that there is in theworld because
he himself was in constant touch with nature, lending it an attention full of fondness and wonder. As
he made his way throughout the land, he often stopped to contemplate the beauty sown by his Father,
and invited his disciples to perceive a divine message in things: “Lift up your eyes, and see how the
fields are alreadywhite for harvest” (
Jn
4:35). “The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed
which aman took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but once it has grown, it is the
greatest ofplants”
(
Mt
13:31-32).
98.
Jesus lived in full harmony with creation, and others were amazed: “What sort of man is this,
that even the winds and the sea obey him?” (
Mt
8:27). His appearance was not that of an ascetic set
apart from the world, nor of an enemy to the pleasant things of life. Of himself he said: “The Son of
Man came eating and drinking and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard!’” (
Mt
11:19). Hewas far
removed from philosophies which despised the body, matter and the things of the world. Such
unhealthy dualisms, nonetheless, left a mark on certain Christian thinkers in the course of history and
disfigured theGospel. Jesusworkedwith his hands, in daily contact with thematter created byGod, to
which he gave form by his craftsmanship. It is striking that most of his life was dedicated to this task
78
NEWZEALANDCATHOLICBISHOPSCONFERENCE,
Statement onEnvironmental Issues
(1September 2006).
