Our friends with the Affiliation of Christian Biologists (ACB), part of the American Scientific Affiliation, are hosting Katharine Hayhoe, who will speak on “Christians, Climate, and Our Culture Around the World.” Dr. Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist whose research focuses on understanding the impacts of climate change on people and the planet.  She is a distinguished professor and chair at Texas Tech University, and chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy. She is also the author of the book “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World.”

At its core, climate change is profoundly unjust. It exacerbates hunger, poverty, and even political instability, disproportionally impacting the most vulnerable people of the world, the very ones we Christians are called to love and care for. As the scientific evidence builds, however, so does the opposition to solutions: they’re impractical, or they’ll harm people, or they’re even too late, some argue. Why is climate change such a difficult problem to solve, and what can we as Christians do about it? Join Katharine Hayhoe as she untangles the complex science behind global warming and highlights the key role our faith and values play in shaping our attitudes and actions on this crucial topic.

Everything about the gospel message leads to the cross, and proceeds from the cross. But it would be a mistake to think we could sum up the significance of the crucifixion in a tidy sentence or two. Brian Zahnd reminds us that the meaning of the cross is multifaceted. Just as gazing through the eyepiece of a kaleidoscope reveals a new geometric image with every turn, Zahnd helps us see that there are infinite ways to behold the cross of Christ as the beautiful form that saves the world.

Brian Zahnd is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri. Known for his theologically informed preaching and his embrace of the deep and long history of the church, Zahnd provides a forum for pastors to engage with leading theologians and is a frequent conference speaker. He is the author of several books, including When Everything’s On Fire, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, A Farewell to Mars, and Beauty Will Save the World.