Today is Earth Day or Creation Care Day or whatever term you would like to use. Do we have a duty to take care of the earth or is it something that we can use to our heart's content? The classic biblical text relating to taking care of the earth is from Genesis 1:28, "God blessed them [humans], and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.'" God has given us this earth, this creation, to use and to make use of. In fact God says as much in the next 2 verses where there is a list of all that God has given to us. What these verses do not talk about is exploiting the earth and using all that there is to our own benefit in the here and now not leaving anything for the next generation. Just like everything else in life we must be careful stewards of this earth.
"Going green" has been a popular phrase over the last couple of years. I am continually amazed at watching "This Old House" on television and seeing what new and innovative ways there are in thinking about environmentally friendly building. The movement has come from just basic recycling programs to dual flush toilets to compact fluorescent light bulbs. Everybody seems to be riding this bandwagon: Governments, politicians, would-be-presidents, and on and on it goes. While a lot has been focused on energy consumption and pollution, what we do with things such as wood makes a big difference too.
In the last two issues of the journal of the American Association of Woodturners, "American Woodturner," there has been a two part series on the finding out where the wood that is used in wood turning, which is generally exotic, comes from and whether or not it is of an endangered species. I must confess that prior to reading the article I did not really think about it. If I saw a piece of wood in a store that I liked, and if I had the money, I bought it. The article points out that there are several types of wood that are on the brink of extinction. Perhaps the line of use and exploitation has been crossed.
Last week I ran across a poorly produced program from the BBC (The only reason I give it poor remarks is that they featured Minneapolis in the program and also my hometown and a few other suburbs that I know about in this ridiculous soap opera type story that was more about the story then it was about facts. The story was about what happens when there is no more oil, very few facts mostly story). The credible sources say that in 2016, at the current rate of consumption, the world will run out of oil. Now I do not know whether or not this is true, but what about the things that we are trying to do. Still the question to be raised is: What is our duty towards the use of oil and other natural fuels? Has the line been crossed between exploitation and responsible use?
While the debate is ongoing between exploitation and responsibility, I think that we do need to be careful with how we use these resources that God has given to us. God commanded humanity to use carefully the resources of earth, to treat the world with respect--after all God did create the world, just as God created us and so as God takes care of us, so must we take care of the earth. There is a warning here as well. We must be careful to not worship creation which is what can happen when we misplace the value of the earth over God. Urgency and correction are necessary just as when a person breaks an arm or a leg, but when the focus is so great that the big picture is lost then it is a whole different story. If someone will not buy anything made of paper because they want to save a tree then that is wrong. Forests need to be weeded out every now and then, growth cut down in a responsible manner--we all know what happens when responsible thinning of the forests does not happen.
As we come closer to God, God shows us how to be responsible, not only in our lives, but even with how we care for the earth. I have always been big on recycling--since elementary school at least and that is one step that we can all take. Being careful with how we drive, not a bunch of small trips when one or two things are needed, but instead when there is enough to make a trip worthwhile. Being careful with the amount of electricity and the water we use is also being responsible. God put us here on earth to serve and worship, to come to faith in Jesus Christ; but also gave us the world to use and to be responsible with--not to make it a slave.
No comments:
Post a Comment