Life with God is not our personal or even communal possession but a living way within the whole living world and indeed universe. As we are more aware of the environmental breakdown so we are challenged to ensure that our spiritual life enables us to see better the pain and oppression of people, nations and creation so as to energise us to work with others to find ways of hope for the future. As God created the universe in Jesus and by the Spirit so are we encouraged to work with God in redeeming the living world today.

This journey of transformation can be seen as joining in with the mission of God, the river of the Spirit who is active, drawing us to the person and ways of Jesus. Living mission in community, rooted in the Jesus Prayer and ready to face death as well as resurrection was the inspiration for Simon Barrington-Ward, a leader in world mission from last century.

This century has focused on the challenges to the environment and our need to find better ways of imagining our place in the living world and so working for its protection and flourishing. Nature writers have helped lead the way in this imaginative and yet moral project, with Robert Macfarlane being one in the UK. We need to explore how such writing might connect with Christian spirituality for the future.