In September 2025, Christian Climate Action, published a challenge to the Church to Stop Crucifying Creation. This is the second of four Advent reflections arising from this Visionary document. 

What are prophets like and what do they do? In the second week of Advent we remember the prophets and we consider how we need to be prophetic too. 

A prophet speaks God’s truth to others. They might do that in the pub, on the street, from the pulpit, in the office. Generally, it won’t make them universally popular. 

Why is that? Because it’s often uncomfortable truth. 

Listen to Amos talking about Israel. It’s not exactly flattering.

“They sell the innocent for silver,

    and the needy for a pair of sandals.

They trample on the heads of the poor

    as on the dust of the ground

    and deny justice to the oppressed”

Amos 2:6 – 7

John the Baptist didn’t mince his words either.: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

You have to have a lot of love and courage to speak like that. You have to not mind what people think of you or say about you. You have to be sure you’re telling the truth. 

The prophets see what others either don’t see or don’t want to see and then they make sure everyone can’t ignore it. 

John saw that the kingdom of heaven was near. He could see that things were changing, that God’s time was coming, that Jesus was about to turn everyone’s thinking and acting upside down. For people to be ready for that, they needed a change of heart and of mind, rejecting everything holding them back from truth and love. 

In our time, the Church needs to speak and act prophetically and unapologetically, refusing to be silenced whatever the consequences, as it bears witness to the truth about the destruction of our God-given and beautiful planet as well as the unending, all-powerful love of our creator and the potential of all of us who are made in His image. The truth includes all of that.

Having woken up and seen the grave situation we are in, what do we need to say and who do we need to say it to? 

The Church needs to speak out more clearly, telling the truth about the destruction of Creation, on which all life depends. That will mean being explicit that it is greed, selfishness and the pursuit of unlimited economic growth that has brought about the devastation which is now upon us. 

Who needs to hear this?

• The Church needs to publicly rebuke and boycott businesses providing financial services and/or insurance to the fossil fuel industry. 
• The Church needs to rebuke media outlets for spreading misinformation about the Climate Emergency and ecological destruction. 
• Church leaders in particular must lobby the Government against the fossil fuel industry, and publicly rebuke the Government for its actions and omissions where it fails to protect God’s creation – whether that is allowing the unchecked use of pesticides, herbicides and antibiotics, allowing over fishing of our seas and pollution of our rivers or licensing new exploration for and extraction of oil and gas and providing subsidies to oil and gas companies. 

Church leaders, and indeed, all Christians, need to champion climate justice, using their powers, authority, influence and voices on behalf of exploited people and nations, migrants fleeing climate impacts, and those across the world who are persecuted for raising the alarm. 

Although we think of John the Baptist as an angry young man, which undoubtedly he was, he was also telling people with great passion that the kingdom of heaven was near. 

Jesus talked a lot about the Kingdom of Heaven (also called the Kingdom of God in Mark, Luke and John). He often talked in riddles but some things are clear. The Kingdom of Heaven is something to be desired, so precious, in fact, that you would give up everything to be part of it. Think of the man who sold everything he had just to buy the field where the precious pearl was buried Matt 13.. 

The kingdom of heaven starts small, and grows exponentially – think of the tiny mustard seed that grows into a tree or the grain of yeast that makes the whole batch of dough rise (Matthew 13)

When we speak prophetically we need to remember not only the call to speak the truth and call for justice, but also what we are working towards. Our context is not just the climate emergency, it is also the kingdom of heaven. Together we can build loving community that starts with us and spreads across society so when the worst disasters hit, we will be ready. 

All this is easier said than done. In week three of Advent we will discuss how we can, like John the Baptist, prepare the way. 

If you think the church needs to be more prophetic read Stop Crucifying Creation and join Christian Climate Action to find out more at an online meeting on Wednesday 28^th January 2026.

This is the second of four reflections. Read the first here.