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Christianity Environment God Nature

Many of you were probably like me as a child, conditioned to believe Captain Planet was indeed the devil.

Growing up with the view that a person would have a hard time loving God if they spent any time protecting the subastral, you maybe did your fair share of mocking environmentalists or even spent your Earth Hour in snarky parody, celebrating Human Achievement Hour instead.

If you're like me, you also probably eventually felt pressure to be more open-minded, and upon further introspection slowly realized the joyful art of stewardship of creation, which allowed you to strike a truce with those more zealous lovers of this world.

So here you and I are, at peace with the decision to be conscious stewards of God's blessings without compromising our values. But, like me, do you still find it necessary to defend yourself as as you appear a stumblingblock to some who believe you're playing the part of humanist rather than Christian?

It's so hard to know what to say to accusations like those, especially when my decisions are for reasons of personal faith, rather than in defense of certain doctrine. Being involved in the stewardship of creation leads me to be more acutely aware this planet is a habitat specifically designed, making it easier to experience just how the earth itself declares His glory, and how basking in the glory of my own hands might have more of a negative impact on me than I initially thought.

Consider light pollution: the nighttime sky has been nearly blotted out. Consider sprawling concrete jungles which block panoramic landscapes and displace flora and fauna. Of course neither electricity nor large cities are inherent evils; I hearitly enjoy them both, and the Word of God will prevail no matter what humans may do. The very fact that God created us to be capable of creation of our own is a declaration of His glory in itself! It's not that I long to do away with the works of human hands but that I long to be more conscious of the works of the Creator. 

As a lover of God and not this present world, my desire to protect the environment really has nothing to do with the environment itself, but stems from an earnest desire to understand Who I love. When I make that conscious effort to make fewer alliances with an augmented view of creation, it becomes so much easier for me to know my Lord.

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Andrea

  September 14, 2010 11:28pm

I grew up reading Ranger Rick, so I was not unfamiliar with the concepts of conservation and recycling, etc. My parents sort of hemmed and hawed when I approached them enthousiastically about it though. My dad explained that they support these things, but that humans come first. I agree with that biblical concept, but I don't know why we can't be good stewards of the earth too (also a biblical concept). We are such a throw away society (I'm guilty!). In my 5 years of marriage, I've had 3 vacuum cleaners and 2 microwaves. I mean, DO YOU know a microwave repairman? I have been re-reading the Little House Books and have come to the conclusion that we take EVERYTHING for granted. We are far less resourceful and self-reliant (as a whole) than ever. I think the wise, frugal, and, really, biblical thing to do is to be hard working, resourceful, reusing and "making do" with what we have and not being greedy for more or reliant on the Walmart up the street. That mindset flows over into everything else. Not to mention all the stuff is making us sick--literally! Then, you don't stop with where it will benefit US, but think about our neighbors and our children and our grandchildren. I think protecting the environment is something that Christians can get involved in without sacrificing an iota of Christian principal.

Erin A.

  September 15, 2010 10:24am

Amy Gaskin. I had this very argument with my mama this weekend. I was helping her do some tasks around the house, including cleaning up a very messy kitchen and taking out the trash. They live 1.1 miles from a pretty sweet recycling center. (The center even takes glass, my friend. Glass.) But no, we're pitching out coke boxes, newspapers, magazines, coke cans, plastic bottles. Not complicated recycling, just your average, white-bread recycling. I asked her if maybe the time had come to take the plunge? I would treat her to some new cans and we would set them up in such a way that it was handy, and there wouldn't be dirty all over her kitchen. A resounding NO was the answer. "It doesn't really matter," she said. "My future is with the Lord." As if the faster we destroy the planet, the quicker we can move up to the astral realms. (Thanks for using 'subastral' btw.)

Other people I know have the same take: why focus on the earth when humans are going without resources and without the Lord. But I often find that people who make that claim (not my mom) don't fill their time at homeless shelters or soup kitchens or bible studies. AND they are not recycling. Double fail.

jovie won

  December 7, 2010 11:49pm

To recycle or not to recycle, is that really the question? Or, is it the answer? The point of your essay is well taken. Of course, I am not simply refering to recycling as the tool of conservationalism, but as its iconic brand name so to speak.

After doing a re-reading of the Creation Account a while ago, I had to come to a view of the human-creation-responsibility ethic that was neither irresponsible or tree-hugging (pardon the pejorative phrase).

There are two things to keep in mind, yea, perhaps three. (1) Everything the Earth and universe have to offer us for service and utility is the Lord's. The earth and the universe are for God's glory, not ours. Scripture abounds with "reality checks" that all things belong to the Lord - including ourselves.

(2) The stewardship and authority given to humanity over the planet is a tension between wisdom and poor stewardship. To reference Jurassic Park, sometimes we should be less concerned with if we can do this or that, and instead stop to think about whether we should. We have a moral responsibility and a spiritual responsibility over the things of the earth - eitherwise, why talk about using them to show mercy and kindness; moreover, why say the abuse of things can reflect unspiritual traits in us all.

(3) Like I said, "perhaps" what I am about to say right. We are told that we all have a responsibility to share our faith in evangelistic outreach, and by living our faith principles out for all to see. Taking faith seriously is fundamental to Christianity. So, this would not this make it sensible to understand that we will practice this balance?

In this attempted balance, might we not be stand at different points on the "line". Some might be more inclined to say, God created the earth that it can recover from what we do; and there may even be scientific evidence (dont ask me I havent checked) to suggst this. Others, might say, why do we have to be so aggressive about our use of earth's resources? And decide to be proactive in their own way to be good stewards of their earthly possession. Just because there may be ultra-environmentalists out there, does that negate our role on earth as stewards? I tend to think not.

I appreciate your thoughts and willingness to put them out there.

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