Edzard Rohland - "God's Creation: Longing for Liberation" (October 8, 1989)

Though humans were commissioned by God in the Garden of Eden to subdue and cultivate the earth with care, we have abused that authority to exploit the earth and its creatures for our own profit. While this situation is dire, the words of the Apostle Paul from Romans 8 speak a word of hope that if we turn from our exploitation and compassionately groan alongside the suffering creation, these labor pains will lead to a liberating birth of a new creation. This is both a provisional and an eternal hope. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)

Sermon start time: (Part 1) 24:08. Sermon end time: (Part 1) 47:37.

Key quotation: “So if we suffer with creation and have compassion with the groaning of creation, these sufferings will lead to the liberation of creation and to the birth of a new world like labor pains lead to the birth of a new being.”