Embracing Kingdom Hope for a Broken World
Posts tagged Creation Care
World Water Day
Mar 22nd
Today, March 22, is World Water Day. According to the official website, Word Water Day serves “as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.” This year’s theme is “Clean Water for a Healthy World.”
For many of us, we don’t even think of water – where it comes from, how we get it, how many people don’t have access to it, etc. But today we pause and reflect on a growing issue around the world – access to clean water. The numbers related to unclean water are staggering. Consider the following information from their website:
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 4 billion cases of diarrhea each year in addition to millions of other cases of illness are associated with lack of access to water that is safe for human consumption. Per year 2,2 million people die as a result of diarrhea most of them are children under the age of five. Human health is severely impacted by water-related diseases (waterborne, water-washed, water-based, and water-related vector-borne infections) as well as by chemical pollution discharged to water.
It is easy to forget, ignore, or turn your back on these issues. Many of us will never suffer from this. Many of us don’t personally know people affected by this. Many of us will never even travel to places plagued by this. But that doesn’t let us off the hook. Now, consider this:
‘I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink… Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:35, 40)
As followers of Jesus we are called to care for those in need. The first step to caring is understanding.
Please take 5 minutes to watch this interesting video about water issues for World Water Day:
Please also consider visiting the official website and checking out some of the additional resources below.
Also consider:
Eco Theology: Rainbows & Promises
Mar 19th
Eco Theology: a series which explores the theology of creation care in bite-size chunks
Rainbows & Promises
I’m not one of those people who usually remember their dreams. As much as I want to, even when I make a mental note during the night, when I wake up I just don’t seem to be able to remember. Now, there is just enough on the tip of my brain to let me know I actually had one and to taunt me. But then as I struggle to piece together what happened they slip into oblivion. So perhaps it is significant that I still remember a little bit about two dreams I had before I was six years old.
The first one took place in South Carolina (where I must have recently visited my grandfather). I was outside walking around a lagoon when an alligator surfaced, landed on the shore, and decided he wanted human tacos for lunch. Now when I was a kid I was fast. But I wasn’t alligator fast. I ran and ran but could not escape him. We were running so fast that just as he was about to sink his teeth in we both ran through the portal between dream world and reality. He continued to chase me all the way down the hall into my parents room and then he somehow disappeared. No matter how much we searched the whole house, especially underneath my bed, he was not to be found. To this day, there has no further sign of him; though that’s not to say I don’t keep a close eye out. I have no idea how this is significant, relevant, uplifting, or educational but I thought I’d bring you along for the run anyways.
The second dream took place on a very rainy day. I had been raining all morning and I chose to curl up in a bean bag next to the window. Now those of you who live in other places around the country and the world would surely laugh at us in Southern California if you knew how insane we get when it rains. At the sign of the first drop of rain we go into a frenzy. Plans change. Rain gear comes out. The doppler radars fire to life. And we move into storm mode. All the news stations interrupt your regularly broadcasted soap operas and courtroom absurdities to announce “Storm Watch 2010” as if the world is teetleling(?), tottling(?) – you know – is on the brink of disaster. Then an 1/8th of an inch of rain and 3 days later we assess the situation and thank our lucky stars. Anyways… that day I was in that mindset. The ground was not absorbing the water quick enough and I was on Storm Watch 19–, let’s just call it Storm Watch year 5 of Scott’s life. So I fall asleep thinking about the coming flood. Of course, this leads to a dream about Noah’s ark where fortunately I am one of the good ones who wins a complimentary ticket aboard the ark. I don’t remember if I was the Noah-figure or not. I do remember is that I was saved though. The dream would be much cooler if I cool tell you what I remember of the animals, how they all fit in there, what we ate, etc, but I can’t. What I do remember is waking up from that dream to the sun shining, rainbow beaming across the sky, and water fading into the ground. I thought about how lucky I was to have been on the ark. How good it was to be a person chosen by God. How lucky must Noah and humanity have been to have been preserved by God. And fortunately God had saved the animals so we could still have hamburgers and zoos, not to mention the ground so we could build houses on top of it as opposed to everyone living in boats like in the movie Waterworld.
This idea that the whole ark story was only about God saving mankind pervaded throughout my life. We like to talk about the 2×2’s in Sunday school because it shows God’s power and, frankly, kids think animals are cute. So we put them up on the flannelboard and play up the cuddly and exotic animals. Good thing God had this afterthought to bring them along because I’m just not sure I could be a vegetarian.
For me, and I believe for many other Christians, this afterthought idea pervaded. People were important. Animals help people in various ways. Bring the animals too.
More recently though I have re-read the story of the ark with an eye for detail. I have to tell you that a lot has changed for me and my view on creation care as a result of this story. If you have the time I encourage you to read Genesis 9:1-17 before going on. This section takes place after they have disembarked from the ark. Here we see God establishing His covenant.
Now, often section headers here will talk about God’s Covenant with Noah. In fact, in theology this is referred to as the Noahic covenant. While this is helpful as an identifier, it is not helpful descriptively. You see, the covenant extends well beyond Noah.
Please take careful note who God covenants with throughout this section:
- Genesis 9:9-10 you (Noah) and your descendants after you and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark
- Genesis 9:11 you (Noah)
- Genesis 9:12 you (Noah) and every living creature that is with you
- Genesis 9:13 the earth
- Genesis 9:15 you (Noah) and every living creature of all flesh
- Genesis 9:16 every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth
- Genesis 9:17 all flesh that is on the earth
Six times here God covenants with the living creatures or the earth. When I first grasped this, it shook me. I had thought the rainbow was only a sign of God not flooding the earth to destroy man. But now I saw that it was so much more. It was the sign of the covenant between God and His creation. That was so much bigger, so much grander than I had thought.
You see, God’s love, care, and even His covenant extend to ALL of His creation. We have developed such an anthropocentric (human centered) view that we have missed that God loves, cares for, and covenants not just with people but with the woodpecker, the beagle, the snow leopard, the poison dart frog, the honey pot ant, the sloth, the spider monkey, and even the earth itself. What an incredible value He has placed on His creation.
Keep in mind that this was not a short term agreement. There were no “if you ______, then ______” stipulations. No, this was an everlasting covenant (9:16). And if you know anything about God and His covenants, you know that God is faithful to His covenants. The psalms say that His covenant faithfulness endures forever (Psalm 136).
Next time you look up and and see a rainbow, think about God’s grand covenant with His creation. Take a moment with your friend, dog, and/or tree and praise God that He has covenanted with you all. May sound silly to some to think of putting your arm around a tree and a dog, and rejoicing together that God cares for you, but it’s true that God cares for each part of His creation.
The God whose promises endure has committed to all of His creation. Next time you feel down because of all of the doom and destruction talk that surrounds the environmental conversation, look to the rainbow as a sign of the covenant between God and His creation. He is in control and He is our source of confidence.
Also consider:
Creation Care= Sabbath
Mar 15th
I came across this great quote by Barbara Taylor-
This land that gives us our food, our water, these trees that clean the air for us to breath; all these green and growing things that bless our bodies with their beauty- these are not resources. They are fellow creatures, with their won rights and responsibilities before God. They have their own sacred duties to perform, if only we will let them.
How do you let our fellow creatures perform their duties? You learn a new rhythm of life, one that includes regular rest or a Sabbath.
We reveal a great misunderstanding of our bodies, our mind and our spirit when we don’t fully participate in a weekly Sabbath. In our western culture we value business, motion, and countless appointments. We don’t realize that this kind of life is not just unsustainable for ourselves but is taking a massive toll on creation. The Bible also calls us to let the land and animals Sabbath or rest. God asks us to respect the created order and to steward it well.
In order to do that we need to simply obey the Sabbath commands. Do you regularly Sabbath? Do you allow others around you to Sabbath? Do you let the people, animals, and land that you are in stewardship of Sabbath?
I believe that if you were to do that every week, you would see astonishing results. A re-ordering of your life will actually result in caring for creation.
Tending to Eden (Part 3)
Mar 12th
Media + Creation: a series which explores all things green and creation care related as found in the media and pop culture
For a week now I have been participating in the Tending to Eden
Interestingly Tending to Eden begins not with a lengthy proof for creation care, but with a call to justice. Scott walks the reader through part of his journey into Guatemala and how that helped him understand God’s concern for the world. It was not his intention to work in an environmental area. In fact, he was uncomfortable with it at first. He wanted to help the poor, the hungry. However, through his own journey Scott helps the reader to understand how caring for God’s creation is caring for the poor. He employs “upstream thinking” to address root causes rather than mere symptoms. He demonstrates this connection clearly using the example of deforestation.
Scott then spends some time talking about reversing the vicious cycle that often traps them in their circumstances and exchanging it for a virtuous cycle of reforestation and economic empowerment. In this he emphasizes the importance of helping the poor understand their own value. He notes, “but if we do for others what they can and should do for themselves, we rob them of their dignity and reinforce the lie that they have nothing to offer. We create dependency.” He then brings the reader into a couple ways that Plant With Purpose and others are able to help while allowing the poor to utilize their gifts, namely through sustainable agriculture and helping businesses.
Scott then focuses on the importance of sharing the gospel in the process. He highlights the idea that without God there will not be transformation. Sharing the gospel is a key part of loving and caring for the poor.
He then steps back to take a more global perspective on all this. Here some of the key ecological issues (such as deforestation, biodiversity, and climate change) are discussed with exceptional clarity. The ecological problems are neither left with the poor, nor at a vague, global level. Rather, they are tracked all the way into our own backyards.
At this point Scott turns to the church. Here he points out the biblical basis for caring for creation as well as some of the church’s history doing so. He says, “The biblical account is not just the story of God’s love for his people and the redemption of humankind through Christ. It is that, but is also the story of God’s love for everything he has made.” People are hungry and Jesus offers hope and redemption for all things. The book concludes with a discussion as to how to get involved both globally and locally, how to “get in the game.”
But wait there’s more! (read that with your best infomercial voice) If this wasn’t enough, the book also includes a small group study at the end, not to mention the ideas for making an impact as an individual, family, or church and a list of creation care resources.
There is much to like about this book. First, Scott does an excellent job of making very complex topics clear. This alone may be worth the price of admission. Not only does he explain what things like deforestation are but he helps you to see how these ideas connect to the poor and our faith. Sometimes I think we like that we do not understand such problems let alone their broader impact. It allows us to be ignorant. But once we understand them and their impact of God’s children and His creation it is hard to sit idly by.
Secondly, the link between a broken creation and the poor is well connected. Scott connects the plight of the poor (both globally and locally) to environmental problems. Caring for creation becomes a matter of justice. For some caring for creation comes at the expense of ignoring the poor. Scott points out that caring for creation actually is caring for the poor.
This leads me to another point I liked about this book: upstream thinking. Scott does not settle. He does not merely target symptoms. Instead, he seeks out the root causes. In the case of the poor, a broken environment is often a major contributing factor. To settle for feeding hungry mouths alone, is to create dependency. That’s not to say that there’s not a time to feed the hungry. By all means there is. But we must also target the factors that keep them hungry. I quite appreciated this reminder to think upstream.
Fourthly, I enjoyed his point that all of creation worships God. Since reading this book I have paid particular attention to how many scriptures and worship songs say that all of creation worships God. There are a ton! Yet, that is often removed from our thinking. I appreciate that Tending to Eden reminded me that in caring for God’s creation I am caring for fellow worshippers of the Almighty God. What a critical idea!
Finally, I was so excited to see Scott point out the hope that we have through Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, this is often left out of creation care literature. Or at least it takes a back seat. At Creation Hope, this is a core part of what we believe. So, when I saw that Scott gets it, I was overjoyed.
You might be wondering if this is the perfect book. No, it’s not perfect. But what is? There were times where the structure of the book seemed a little hard to follow. Also, the section on the biblical basis for creation care was fairly short. That said, there is a whole Bible study in the back which certainly helps fill in gaps. But these and other minor issues are dwarfed by the great value to be had in this book.
If you are wondering about the link between the poor and the environment, if you feel like you don’t totally get what we are talking about, if you want a book that is not a textbook but is seen through the lens of someone’s life and work, if you want to better understand how to approach environmental issues from a Christian perspective, perhaps you should consider picking up Tending to Eden.
Want to read Tending to Eden? Consider buying it at the Creation Hope Store. Better yet, want a free, autographed copy? Comment on this or one of the other Tending to Eden posts for a chance to win. Giveaway details here.
Also consider:
Eco Anecdotes: Gardening for the Community
Note: photos courtesy of Plant With Purpose
Announcing the Creation Hope Store
Mar 10th
We wanted to let you know that we have officially opened our Creation Hope store to the public!
Our online store currently offers the following items to help you care for God’s creation:
- Creation Care books – these books will help you better understand what the Bible says about caring for God’s creation. They will walk you through the theology and theory of creation care.
- Green Living books – these books will help you put your beliefs into practice. These will help you care for creation at home, work, church, and even while on vacation. From gardening to beekeeping to transportation to building to entertainment, these will help you find the resources to fulfill your call to care for God’s creation in your entire life.
- Green Products – these products will assist you on your journey. From composting to rain barrels to energy monitors to sourdough starter, we recommend practical products that will assist you. While we recommend you first borrow, reuse, or DIY your own products as possible, if you are unable to do so these things will help you along the way.
- Partner Music – find excellent worship music from our partner in ministry Shine Like Stars. Their music is uplifting to the soul and more importantly will help you worship our Lord and Savior.
We are very excited about the launch of our store and hope that it is an aid to you as you seek to care for God’s creation. By purchasing these items through our store you help to support our ministry. Your support is much appreciated.
To find the store simply click on the store tab above or click here.
Tending to Eden (Part 2)
Mar 10th
Media + Creation: a series which explores all things green and creation care related as found in the media and pop culture
On Friday we kicked off a mini-series exploring the new creation care book, Tending to Eden. In part 1, I introduced you to the book. We looked at its content, some quotes, the author Scott Sabin, and his work with Plant With Purpose. And we also offered you an opportunity to win a free copy of the book (entry details below). Also, be looking for a review of the book on Friday.
Last week I had the opportunity to interview Scott about Tending to Eden. I had a great time talking with this interesting author and leader. Below I have included some of the highlights of the interview which will give you further insight into the book and who he is.
What prompted you to write this book?
Well, its kind of a funny story. It kinda happened to me I guess. It’s indicative of the growing interest in creation care/ Christian environmental stewardship. We put together a Bible study, actually the Bible study in the index. Several publishers came back to us and said, “the Bible study won’t stand alone. You know, we’d love it as part of a series or as a book.” And so we thought about what kind of book we’d like to see. After a fair amount of negotiation the one you have is what came out. I was shocked having tried to publish material in the past that we had several publishers come to us excited about this idea.
Who is the intended audience for this book?
In my mind it was the many donors that I was talking to over the years who just didn’t quite get it. The people who said we like the economic development, but why trees. The people who said you guys are a little off. I was writing to persuade people who are on the fence about the whole environmental thing. That’s why in a lot of places I use the language they could relate to as much as possible….
A secondary audience was the people who are interested in the environment or are interested in caring for the poor but haven’t quite seen the connection. The people who say, “Yeah this is great but how can we worry about creation when people are starving” – to draw that connection together.
If you could condense the message into one sentence or paragraph, what would it be?
First of all, I want to make the point that creation care is a justice issue, that God loves his creation and that it is part of his plan for redemption. And we have a stewardship responsibility that we should take very seriously.
I especially appreciate how you highlight the hope we have in Jesus. Obviously that is extremely important to us at Creation Hope. Can you elaborate on that hope a bit?
First of all, I think the need for hope is tremendous. The more you immerse yourself in what is going on in creation, the more discouraged you can get. Take Haiti as an example. You look at the rate of deforestation and the demand for charcoal and you look at what we are able to do and the comparison is just… well, someone once said it’s like spitting in the ocean. I’m not sure if that’s a metaphor or not, but you look at the relative scale and it sort of is.
You look at the fact that Jesus promises redemption and we know that he will not be thwarted in his purposes. We know that he cares and loves his creation more than we do and doesn’t tend to throw things away. I don’t know how things are going to play out…. I do know that there’s a plan that will take into account all of this that has been created.
The other thing I have learned as I have immersed myself more in creation is just the intricacy and the diversity and to me that gives me a lot of hope as well. I think some of our traditional ideas about heaven tend to be sort of boring. And you look at creation and realize that this is created by the same person that promises us eternal life. And to me that gives great assurance.
The story of the feeding of the 5,000 is tremendous in that in the position that the disciples and the boy who comes up with the fish and loaves are in if you just look at that tiny, little story, it’s sort of a microcosm. They don’t have any hope of feeding the 5,000 they just step out in obedience. I think that’s where we are. Go back to Haiti. We don’t have any hope of reforesting Haiti, but we step out in obedience following the call, confident that God has a plan of redemption for Haiti.
What is your favorite creation care book?
One of the underappreciated ones… that I thought was wonderful was Steven Bouma Prediger’s book [For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian Vision for Creation Care (Engaging Culture)
What is your favorite way that you personally care for God’s creation?
As far as actually caring for creation – this may be a cop out – but what we do here and are trying to do here … trying to make it possible for people trapped in that cycle to live in a mutually beneficial relationship with their local environment.
Where I get excited is seeing hillsides that were eroded and barren covered with dark rich soil and trees and places where there are small little streams flowing that were dry before. That’s what really gets me excited.
Is there anything else that you wish you could have said that you would like to share with our readers?
There are some things I am thinking about… ideas that have occurred to me since. – The idea of kingdom relationships being life-giving and therefore as citizens of the kingdom, how we can be life-giving in our relationship with creation. These are ideas that I want to explore in the future. We spend a lot of time talking about reducing our footprint but I wonder how we can actually be restorative in our relationships rather than just mitigating our own damage…. It’s probably not possible this side of Christ’s return any more than it’s possible to bring about world peace by turning the other cheek. Nonetheless, we can live as if – because we are citizens of the kingdom – there’s a real sense in which we are living that out.
Freebie Info
Next Friday, March 12th at 5:00pm PST we will hold a random drawing to determine the winner of the free, autographed copy of Tending to Eden. In order to qualify you must do one of the following:
- Comment on any of the 3 Tending to Eden blog posts (part 1, this one, or the upcoming book review)
- Tweet the following “I just entered to win a free copy of the book Tending to Eden from @creationhope. To enter go to http://bit.ly/bJqxkF #CreationHopeGiveaway”
Only one opportunity per person per option above (which means only 1 opportunity regardless of how many times you comment; only 1 opportunity regardless of how many times you tweet; with a maximum of 2 opportunities total to win). Comments and tweets must be made by 4:30pm PST on March 12, 2010. Sorry, only available to those in the Unites States. Please do not enter if you do not intend to read the book.
Also consider:
Tending to Eden (Part 1)
Mar 5th
Media + Creation: a series which explores all things green and creation care related as found in the media and pop culture
Tending to Eden (Part 1)
A new creation care book came out recently and I have been fortunate enough to participate in the blog tour. The book is Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for God’s People
Freebie note: we will be giving away a free, autographed copy of Tending to Eden. Read to the end for instructions.
Over the next week I will be publishing 3 posts (including this one) about this great book. Today’s is mostly an introduction to the book and a brief look inside. Next, I will let you in on the details from my interview with Scott. Finally, I will review the book. We will conclude the series in royal fashion by giving away the signed copy of the book to one lucky reader. Okay, we maybe that’s not “royal fashion,” but it is certainly something worth getting excited about.
About Tending to Eden
Let’s begin with the description from Amazon:
Written by Scott Sabin, executive director of a Christian relief and development agency, Tending to Eden is an invaluable resource for environmentally conscious congregations and community groups. In this practical guide for creation care, Sabin offers: Theological foundations for environmental stewardship, Practical strategies, Case studies of contemporary ministry groups, and Sidebars by leading voices in the Christian church who are passionate about environmental stewardship. Each chapter also includes a study guide for small-group use, and the appendix offers a related Bible study. With the holistic tools provided in this innovative and practical resource, churches and organizations can transform lives, communities, and ministries.
A look inside
If you are interested in getting more of a look inside Tending to Eden, here are a several quotes for you (a few short ones and 1 longer one).
Environmental restoration leading to economic opportunity is a virtuous cycle. As it brings glory to God, it becomes a victorious cycle, a foreshadowing of the kingdom to come.
We must make the connection between creation care and justice if we want to have an impact on the problems of the poor and oppressed in our own country and around the world. Environmental problems and their solutions transcend race, border, and economic class, and yet we must not ignore the disproportionate impact these problems have on economically disadvantaged and marginalized communities.Any comprehensive creation-care program must respond to the needs of the poor and the marginalized — working alongside them to clean up their neighborhoods, fight their oppressors, protect their reefs, preserve their rivers, and replant their forests.
Taking care of creation isn’t just about saving the whales or the spotted owl (although these concerns are far more important than the skeptics would have us believe). Creation care isn’t just about reduce, reuse, recycle. And it certainly isn’t about keeping others out or exporting our own environmental problems to other countries so America can remain pristine. It is about preserving creatures and conserving wilderness, but it is also about saving neighborhoods fromour waste, and improving the health and safety of children who live there. It is about working for justice for poor families in Appalachia and collaborating with poor farmers around the world who are struggling to produce food under increasingly difficult circumstances. Justice for the poor and oppressed should be a seamless part of creation care, just as creation care is fundamental to proclaiming and demonstrating God’s kingdom to all of creation.
When we ask, “What else must I do?” the answer is always “The next thing.” We are called to take the next step—but only the next step. One at a time. I have only begun to take the first steps. They have been far less painful than I expected. Lord willing, I will be able to take more steps toward being a good steward. How much is enough? There is no “enough.”
Whatever steps we take, we can be certain our labor will not be in vain. Jesus loves his creation and has a plan to redeem it. And we have been given a role to play in that redemption. So let’s get in the game.
More about Scott’s work
If you want to learn more about Scott Sabin’s work with Plant With Purpose, check out their website. And/or you can check out the video below.
Freebie Info
Next Friday, March 12th at 5:00pm PST we will hold a random drawing to determine the winner of the free, autographed copy of Tending to Eden. In order to qualify you must do one of the following:
- Comment on any of the 3 Tending to Eden blog posts (this or one of the upcoming ones)
- Tweet the following “I just entered to win a free copy of the book Tending to Eden from @creationhope. To enter go to http://bit.ly/bJqxkF #CreationHopeGiveaway”
Only one opportunity per person per option above (which means only 1 opportunity regardless of how many times you comment; only 1 opportunity regardless of how many times you tweet; with a maximum of 2 opportunities total to win). Comments and tweets must be made by 4:30pm PST on March 12, 2010. Sorry, only available to those in the Unites States. Please do not enter if you do not intend to read the book.
Also consider:
Eco Theology: To Serve and Protect
Feb 19th
Eco Theology: a series which explores the theology of creation care in bite-size chunks
To Serve and Protect
If there’s one thing you learn when you study other languages in depth, it’s that translations do not fully capture what was originally said. Translation is not mathematics. There is not a 1 to 1 relationship between the meanings of most words. For example, if my bilingual daughter uses the word “guardar” I might translate it as “keep” when I tell my wife. But that might leave out much of the original meaning of the word which can also be "guard, watch over, put away, save, observe, bear, protect." You see, when separated from the original language, the event, and the cultural and linguistic context, we face many challenges in understanding what was meant. This is why computers, as smart as they are, still have so much trouble translating from one language to another. Likewise, that is why we often have such trouble understanding what the Bible says or why we misunderstand certain things when relying only on the translation of it.
This is the case with some key creation care scriptures. When read out of context or without an informed understanding of the original text, we can miss the meaning. So, today we will look at one of those passages in depth to better understand its meaning and our theology.
The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
Genesis 2:15
It is unfortunate that this verse has often been translated inadequately and that the deeper meaning does not come through in the English translations. As such, this verse is often skipped over as the language merely appears to apply to gardening. If I understand it only as tilling the earth (in an agricultural sense), I can think that Adam was a farmer and I am not. So I might think that this verse does not apply to me. However, a look at the original language reveals there is a much deeper meaning behind this scripture. The Hebrew word here translated as “till” is abad. The basic meaning of this word is “to serve,” which implies a very different relationship.
Also, the word translated as “keep” is shamar. While this is not a bad translation is does not capture the fuller sense of the word which includes the ideas of: guarding, watching over, protecting, taking care of, preserving, and devoting oneself to. This implies a much more caring relationship. Calvin DeWitt says, “God calls us to give the garden of creation our caring service.” God has placed man and creation in a symbiotic relationship. Man is not simply told to use creation for his own benefit, but is to devote himself to the care and preservation of creation.
Furthermore, this helps me to better understand Genesis 1:28 in which God tells mankind that they should subdue the earth and have dominion over living things. We often think of this dominion as dominating. But what we see here is more of a servant leadership. Additionally, in Genesis 1 we see God using “sovereign power in a way that shares life and life-giving power, and human beings are in a position to master creatures in an appropriate way because they share these characteristics” (From John Goldingay’s Old Testament Theology). If our great God, the Creator, uses His power in this way and we are made in His image, how do you suppose we ought to use our power? Mankind’s use of authority should not inhibit and damage creation but free and develop it so that it may flourish.
In my personal journey, understanding this difference is where things really began to change. No longer did I have this mentality that I should dominate the earth for my own selfish purposes. Rather, I realized that we have been called into a caring, protecting, symbiotic relationship with God’s creation. What a difference!
Also consider:
Eco Theology: It’s All Good
Feb 5th
A series which explores the theology of creation care in bite-sized chunks
It’s All Good
A week or so ago I took my daughter over to the park. We were having a blast playing on the playground together. It was a great time, except for one thing… I kept finding myself cringing as she would get dirtier and dirtier. It had rained just a day earlier and the slides were still wet, though that didn’t stop here from using them. So as her clothes got wet the dirt, sand, avian fecal matter (a.k.a. bird poop), and who-knows-what-else was sticking to her. I was saying over and over, “no toques eso” (don’t touch that). Of course, it’s hard to stop a 2 year old from touching anything so my commands went unheeded. As we got home my first thought was to strip her down, clean, and sanitize her immediately.
Upon some reflection I realized that on that afternoon in many ways I had reverted back to the view of the universe that has been ingrained in so many of us since we were little kids: namely that spiritual things are good and physical things are bad. As Christians we talk about getting to the other side and being with God in heaven so that we can be past the ailments of the physical world. Many look forward to a spiritual, ethereal place where we can just float around untainted by physical things. While there is much to be said for looking forward to being with God (please don’t get me wrong on that), there is something wrong with this view we have inherited that basically says: spiritual good, physical bad. I don’t want to get technical on you, but let me simply point out that this is very much the heritage of Plato’s view of the universe as well as of the Gnostics who claimed that matter was evil. As we look back on history here we realize how much we have been influenced to treat spiritual things as good at the expense of treating physical things are bad or evil.
Of course, as Christians it’s not that we don’t appreciate spiritual things. However, that is not to say that the physical is evil. Broken yes, but not evil. Consider the words of God as He looked over His creation in Genesis 1:31 (NRSV).
God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
It is important to note that the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments, holds to a view that creation is good. God Himself declares repeatedly that His creation was good. If God values His creation then so should we, who are made in God’s image. As we look at the physical world (specifically at God’s creation), we must not forget Who created it and that it is good. Certainly brokenness has crept in, but that does not change the inherent goodness of creation.
A couple days ago my daughter and I went out again. On the way to the park we stopped to enjoy God’s creation, dirt and all. We played with dirty leaves that were absolutely beautiful and glorified their Creator. We touched the bark on trees, felt the grass, and just enjoyed the goodness of God’s creation, dirt and all. She still got cleaned up when we got back but not in order to wash of the evil stain of the physical world.
Praise be to our Maker and Creator for the goodness of His creation.
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Definitions: Creation Care
Jan 29th
A series that seeks to clarify the jargon, terminology, ideas, and any other confusing whatnots that separate us and keep us from understanding important things related to creation care.
Creation Care
As you read around our site as well as other Christian blogs, books, etc you will find yourself continually coming across this term creation care. So, what exactly is creation care? How is it different from environmentalism? What do you call a creation care person?
So, before I get sidetracked… the term creation care reflects our efforts to care for God’s creation. As Christians we know that some of the first commands we were given had to do with taking care of creation (Genesis 1:28; 2:15). Furthermore, the Bible is filled with descriptions of the majesty of God’s creation, how we are to care for it, it’s brokenness, and God’s work to redeem it. Creation care, then, considers our role in this. It seeks to respond to the call that God has put on us.
Now, you may notice a unique part of our creation care here at Creation Hope: hope. Whereas the world and (unfortunately) many of us Christians despair of the impending destruction of the environment, we at Creation Hope embrace hope in the face of the challenges. Because of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, God is already working to restore His creation. Therefore, we believe that creation care is more than a command; rather, it is an opportunity to join the great work of redemption. Because of who God is we may find hope even when there’s no hope to be found.
Now, you might be wondering why we don’t just stick with environmentalism. People know it, understand it, use it. Well… the first reason is that environment has to do with what surrounds us. It is centered on people. Creation care, meanwhile, focuses on the Creator and His creation. The second reason is that creation care reflects our uniquely Christian perspective that we bring to the issue. While the actions of creation care and environmentalism often overlap, the motivation and heart of the matter are incredibly different. It is imperative that we keep our distinct perspective and the Good News in mind.
Unlike in environmentalism where you have an environmentalist, we do not (yet?) have a term for a person who engages in creation care. Perhaps we could call them tillers or gardeners a la Genesis 2:15 but those don’t carry much meaning, do they? Perhaps, creation caregiver? That just sounds odd. Perhaps an eschatological ecologist? Of course, as I write this in a series seeking to rid us of jargon this might not be appropriate. Besides, even having written it myself I’m not really sure what that means. Let me offer one final alternative. Perhaps someone who engages in creation care should simply be called a Christian. You see, as Christians we are called to follow our Lord; the same Lord who has commanded us to care for His creation and who is working to redeem it. So, to be a Christian should mean that we care for God’s creation.
Does this dispel any confusion about creation care? Need further clarity? Post your questions in the comments section and we will try to clear them up for you.
Are there other terms you need defined? Let us know and we will incorporate them into this series.
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