The theology of creation care
Does “creation care” have a place in the Christian life? Evangelical Christians in particular have a reputation for neglecting environmental stewardship—a stereotype that has some truth to it, traceable perhaps to Christians’ belief that the Earth will pass away when the Lord returns. But today is Earth Day, and Mart De Haan has written a blog post specifically about this question of Christians and creation care:
I’ll admit that I used to argue that this earth is timed to self-destruct and that followers of Christ need to be far more concerned with things that last than those that will pass away.
I’d talk about what Paul said about worshiping the creation more than the Creator.
But Dean would quote the first part of the chapter where Paul talks about the way God uses the natural world to point to the wonder of his own existence and character.Then he’d talk about Psalm 19 that describes how God not only speaks to us through his written word, but through creation itself.
He’s referring to the Wonder of Creation blog, where Dean Ohlman writes diligently about how Christians can and should better understand the place of Creation in our spiritual lives. His post “Earth Day confessions” sums up much of his approach, and challenges the church to understand its general failure to promote Earth stewardship as a sin and a deviation from a Biblical worldview.
What’s your reaction to these posts? Have you or your church thought through the question of how environmental stewardship does (or doesn’t) fit into Christian theology? How might the church best approach this issue?
The question is: “Does ‘creation care’ have a place in the Christian life?” The premise in assuming ones response to be negative is considered, perhaps, attributable to our Christian belief that the Earth will pass away when the Lord returns. And so, the postulation goes something like this: ‘why bother?’ I cannot think of any line of thought that could be any farther removed from biblical reason.
After all- our bodies are temporal, but no one doubts our spiritual duty in caring for this, ‘the temple of the Holy Spirit’ … so how much less the ground where that temple stands? And likewise, though we understand the ‘brick and mortar’ that are our church buildings to be places that will ‘also pass away,’ would anyone dare to presume that that makes structural ‘upkeep’ and ‘maintenance’ unnecessary? Of course not- and neither should we neglect anything else that might be used in the reflecting of God’s glory. And I’m pretty sure that the earth qualifies in that respect.
Romans 1:20 is often quoted in response to the ‘Creation Care’ issue and I think it appropriate enough for repeating: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” NIV
And another bit of verse comes to mind, though it is not so often quoted, is: “But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:7-10 KJV
“… In whose hand is the soul of every living thing … ‘every’ living thing.” That’s grass and trees and things that crawl, fly, or swim. How dare we not care for all that our God has made?
“And likewise, though we understand the ‘brick and mortar’ that are our church buildings to be places that will ‘also pass away,’ would anyone dare to presume that that makes structural ‘upkeep’ and ‘maintenance’ unnecessary?”
This is a really good analogy. Thanks for sharing!
“I used to argue that this earth is timed to self-destruct and that followers of Christ need to be far more concerned with things that last than those that will pass away.”
Yes, that is the right priority. But we’re not just “unconcerned” about God’s earth. We are not neutral observers of the earth’s destruction. We are actively destroying it.
I start my day with prayer, I care for God’s people, I try to live a blameless life, and I make every effort to slow down MY destruction of God’s earth in any small way I can. Because when I drive a gas-powered car, take a shower, or eat a meal that’s been shipped-cross country, I am personally tearing down a part of God’s beautiful creation.
Even though Isaiah 65:17-20 says “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind,” I don’t find any passage in which God calls US to take part in the destruction of the old earth.