It is time that churches took more interest in what is happening to God's creation. This book is for every citizen of our ecosystem and especially for Christians who claim to witness for its Creator. It contains sufficient information and anecdotal material to challenge every spiritually sensitive reader.
Nollman believes in the interdependence of creation. Spiritual ecology posits three laws: (1) in a connected world, the whole is no longer the whole when it is a part, (2) no person or group is the enemy, and (3) human beings do not own the Earth.
Nollman proposes to change our perception of nature and our relationship to it. In doing so he uses a vocabulary that will be new to most readers. He master fully utilizes personal experiences to draw the reader into caring more about the land and its creatures.
He insists that we lost our sense of responsibility when we began to make decisions in terms of our imminent needs and pleasures. Even the non-Christian Iroquois tribe of generations ago considered the impact of their decisions on the next seven generations. We need to practice this kind of social responsibility.
The author reminds us of the more obvious abuses humans practice, such as raping the forests, slaughtering whales, gluttonously using petroleum, wasting water and electricity, creating a green house effect, and gushing pesticides over our crops. We are all culpable.
Although Nollman sometimes exaggerates his point concerning the ability of plants to perceive and even relate to humankind, he does raise the reader's consciousness of selfish human dominance over the environment. He maintains a healthy balance between idealism and realism. His practical suggestions for our personal lives are not impossible tasks, and he shares his own struggles to comply with a simpler lifestyle.
Nollman concludes his book with a plea to get connected to the environment by acting responsibly. That could mean buying a car that gets better mile age or ridding meat from your diet. It will mean different things to different people. Nollman practices what he espouses--his book is printed on recycled paper. I recommend this book. It will help you gain a new perception of the incredible problem of cleaning up. our environment.
