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

So far in Advent we have realised we have to wake up to the truth of the world we are living in – one we have never experienced before, which is dying in front of our eyes; and we have heard the challenge to speak out as the prophets did, regardless of the consequences. 

Now we need to think of how we can “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him” Luke 3:4

It’s not so easy to just ‘speak out’ or ‘show leadership’ 

To act prophetically, we need to draw together as a loving community of resistance, valuing the calling of some to take part in the sacrament of nonviolent civil disobedience in response to the Climate and Nature Crisis. 

In our churches we should teach the theology and spiritual tradition of nonviolent civil resistance as practised by Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King and many others, as well as training in the techniques of nonviolent action for those who want to explore it. 

If that doesn’t sound like church to you, maybe it’s time to pick up your bible with new eyes. Take Luke 6:29 “If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.” Sometimes the poorest of the poor might be forced to give their coat as collateral for a loan. In this case, the creditor has taken the debtor to court and taken his coat, probably his only possession. Jesus advises that in this case the debtor should strip, hand over his under garment and march out of court naked. Without violence, he has humiliated the debtor and shown up his lack of compassion. This is just one example of nonviolent action, it is challenging, breaks social norms and repays injustice without the use of violence.

Another well known example of nonviolent action in the bible is to ‘go the extra mile’ – in common language this has taken on a very different meaning from its original meaning. At the time, a Roman soldier could force any civilian in the land Rome had occupied to carry his pack for a mile, but no further. Demanding more came with severe military penalties for the soldier. So imagine the scene, the person who has been carrying the pack says ‘don’t worry, I’ll carry it for another mile’. The soldier is now in a dilemma… imagine the tussle that ensues. The person carrying refusing to give up the heavy pack, the soldier begging to have it back. Now who has been demeaned?

In more recent times women have given flowers to soldiers threatening them with guns during anti-Vietnam war protests (1960s).

At protest rallies against the Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines in the 1980s Roman Catholic priest, Jose Dizon  would say mass to prevent violent dispersal by the government and to boost the morale of demonstrators.

More recently still, people have sat with cardboard signs saying they support Palestine Action, a protest group which has been proscribed in the UK, and that they oppose a genocide (referring to the war in Gaza)

These more recent examples give the authorities a dilemma. How will they come across and will they be respected if they fire on a woman holding out flowers or if they forcibly move a priest celebrating mass or arrest ordinary people sitting quietly with cardboard signs? Their task is made far easier if the protestors are violent. The photos in the media put them in a much better light. 

Senior leaders as well as church members should show spiritual and moral leadership without fear of the consequences to themselves and discern whether they are called to nonviolent civil resistance against a state which is failing to respond quickly and proportionately to the climate threat. 

If we are to speak out, we need to do so with clean hands – Church money should be held only in banks that have no role in servicing the fossil fuel industry, the Church should be a faithful steward of its land – for example increasing biodiversity on its estates and rewilding 30% of its land by 2030, the church needs to be exemplary in its commitment to sustainable travel, generating renewable energy – maybe with solar panels on South facing roofs, limiting flying to only be undertaken for acts of love or mercy.

Many churches have started to make these internal changes which are so important, not only because of the change they make to their emissions but to avoid hypocrisy when asking for greater action from others. However, as always, Jesus expects us to look outside of our own circle, to act on behalf of humanity, to show love in the most expansive way we can and small acts of recycling or choosing organic fair trade coffee to drink after the service, whilst good, are not sufficient given the situation we are in.

If you are ready to Prepare the Way for the prophetic work of the church, read Stop Crucifying Creation and join Christian Climate Action to find out more at an online meeting on Wednesday 28^th January 2026.

To find out more about the importance of nonviolence in these times we recommend The Sacrament of Civil Disobedience by John Dear, Bodies on the Line by Sue Parfitt, Jesus and Nonviolence by Walter Wink

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