Introduction
One of the essential things to note regarding the interconnectedness of all things created by God is that everything that currently exists was intended to depend on one another: the rest of the creation, the rest of human beings, and God himself. It becomes possible to draw links between the ecology of the human and the ecology of the body of Christ, which allows showing that growth takes place through various spiritual interactions and relationships. As humanity has been developing continuously since its creation, the strength of relationships, both social and spiritual, has been growing. Today, in the interconnected age or “the networked world,” the fact that everything is connected has never been as evident. Every area of society relates to each other in the real world, and such a world is highly digital, reliant on networks, and interdependent.
Biblical Support for the Unity of Physical and Spiritual Realms
Thus, the first piece of Biblical evidence to give someone who rejects the interconnected and interactive nature of God-created physical and spiritual ecologies is that all phenomena that one sees around them are dependent on something else, and the chain of connections can expand multiple times. For instance, the sun, Earth, and moon are interconnected and are being held together by gravity, thus creating one system. Specifically, the moon orbits the Earth because of the pull of the Earth, which, in turn, orbits the sun because of its pull.
The movement of the planets relative to one another may cause eclipses, which are either visible or not. Without the sun, there would be no light or warmth on Earth. Thus, living organisms would be unable to develop. Without the moon, there would be no tides that have created a rhythm guiding humans’ lives. This example illustrates that the connection between natural phenomena was pre-determined in God’s creation for humanity to continue existing and developing.
Another piece of Biblical evidence to support the interconnectedness of God’s creation is that Jesus himself spoke out some parables that were based on nature’s principles. Such parables were rich in memorable imagery and seemed simple but also had a deeper meaning. Because nature surrounded people, they could understand the parables about it, which mentioned planting and harvesting, raising animals, maintaining cattle, and so on.
The physical analogies written in the Bible allow Christians to grow spiritually: “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good” (Prov 23:27). The close interactions between nature and humans are embedded into the Biblical teachings, illustrating that all things created by God were intended to be interconnected for strengthening faith.
Conclusion
In the modern world, which has become highly integrated and technology-led, the preservation of nature and reaping the most benefits from it using technologies shows that interconnectedness exists. While many of the practices, such as the traditional approach to spiritual formation in the form of monasteries and isolation, have become outdated, there is a need for newer models that better suit the interconnected age. The example of the ecological model of spiritual formation could be the answer to this need. To conclude, the evidence for the interconnectedness of God’s creations is vast, and with the development of humanity, the links continue to be strengthened and updated.
References
Lowe, S. D., & Lowe, M. R. (2018). Ecologies of faith in a digital age: Spiritual growth through online education. Downers Grove: IVP Academic.
Lim, J. (2019). Ecologies of faith in a digital age: Spiritual growth through online education. Journal of Research on Christian Education, 28(1), 84-87. Web.