Why Should Christians Care? Part 2

Many Christians seem very happy to plant their feet firmly on the “Not Our Problem” side of the environmental care issue.  This stance, however, disregards, or has not considered, much of what Scripture has to say about the role of believers in the world.  I’d like to post one a day, for your consideration. 

Reason Number Two:

Man is God’s appointed steward over the earth.  If we are to be good and faithful servants, we cannot shirk our responsibility and pretend the state of God’s creation is not our problem.  The purpose and goal of our relationship to creation is the glory of God. 

As described yesterday, God has placed man in three eternal relationships: man to God, man to man, and man to creation.  Man’s relationship to creation is that of a steward.  The function of a steward, seen in the Bible and especially in Jesus’ parables, is one who is temporarily put in charge of a master’s possessions and is allowed to exercise authority over those possessions.   We must ask, what steward disregards that which he is given charge of?  Or pushes it away, saying, “I have no responsibility for this”? God did not ask if we wanted to work and tend the physical creation and we have no right to remove ourselves from the responsibility he has given.  In His sovereignty, He made the creation and commanded us to “subdue,” “work,” and “tend it” (see previous post for full references).  The good steward, as in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25, invests his share of the master’s possessions and gives his master back even more than he was given, showing his wisdom, obedience, and respect.  In our relationship with our heavenly Master we must also show our humble worship in how we behave as stewards. 

Jesus says that the kingdom of God, that perfect coming reign of the Lord, will come at a time that no one knows and no one expects.  He tells the parable of the ten virgins or bridesmaids waiting through a long night with lamps full of burning oil for the bridegroom to arrive (Matt 25:1-13)  In the same way, believers must be awake and ready for Christ’s return, sober minded and acting in accordance with God’s will. 

Jesus then says, the coming of the kingdom of God “will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.  To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.  He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.  So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.  But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.  Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” (Matthew 25:13-21).   

God has entrusted the earth to us, to “subdue” “work” and “tend” until he returns to reign in the full power of his kingdom.  As the parable of the ten virgins communicates, it may be a long and dark wait and we are unsure of the time of his return, but we must be faithful and diligent in our good work nonetheless.  More faithful and more diligent, in fact, because he will come when we do not expect Him!  Our goal in stewardship, as the parable indicates, is to please our master by making wise decisions in His best interest, rather than our own (though as we see, acting in accordance with the Master’s will leads to blessing and favor).  In a more specifically Christian way of putting it – the purpose and goal of our role as stewards over creation is the glory of God.  When our Master returns we should not present him with a polluted and torn apart world, which would show little respect for His authority, His possessions, or His glory, but one that is well-tended, healthy, productive, and beautiful.  It should be as He created it, full of His glory, with the additional virtue of having fulfilled its purpose within the culture of man.  

As Christians, we should be the people most fervent to serve God wholeheartedly in every facet of our lives and in doing so show His glory to the nations.  Then we will hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

~ Lauren Merritt, The Christian and Creation

photographs by Ian Britton of Freefoto.com

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Why Should Christians Care?

Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.

Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.

He set them in place forever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away.

Praise the LORD from the earth,

you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail,

snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding,

you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,

wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds,

kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

(Psalm 148)

Today starts a new series, “Why Should Christians Care?”, by Lauren Merritt, from The Christian and Creation blog. 

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My conviction about my interaction with creation is recent, but it is fervent.  As I’ve studied Scripture and been absorbed in books, particularly those about what it means for man to be in God’s image, my passion for this area of Christian living has grown.  One reason for this, perhaps, is that it is heartily and unreasonably ignored.  Many Christians seem very happy to plant their feet firmly on the “Not Our Problem” side of the issue.

This stance, however, either disregards or has not considered a handful of truths that lead me to believe that not only is the environment “our problem,” but that it is more the responsibility of Christians than any other people.  I’d like to post one reason for this each day, for your consideration.

Reason Number One:

Man was created by God to exist in three relationships: man to God, man to man, and man to creation.  All three will exist eternally in the new creation.  We are responsible for our behavior toward each of these three relationships.   

At the heart of Christian theology lies the fact that man is created in three distinct relationships: man to God, man to man, and man to creation.  All of our existence takes places within these three spheres.  We spend a great amount of time discussing our relationship to God and our relationship to men (as we should!), but there is a full third category that we mindlessly neglect (as we should not!).  If God had not wanted us to have a physical creation with which to interact He could have made us non corporeal all together.  But He did not; He created man in a beautiful garden and some of His first instructions to them were to tend their land.  This is often referred to as the cultural mandate. 

Genesis 1 tells us that God gave man dominion over the natural creation.  “God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”  God gave Adam and Eve their immediate surroundings, the Garden of Eden, so they would “work it and take care of it” (Gen 2:15).   We know from the rest of Scripture, that though Adam and his descendants are creation’s rulers, God is The Ruler,  The Owner, and The King of creation (see references at the bottom of the page).  What humans do with creation is in submission to God as the ultimate authority and standard of our behavior.  We are the stewards, not the owners.

A factor not often considered, including by myself until very recently, is that man’s three-fold relationship is eternal, though all three relationships will undergo changes.  In the coming new creation of God’s kingdom there will be a new creation!  We will still exist in a perpetual relationship with God, with man, and with creation – but all three will be sinless, perfect, holy, beautiful, sanctified, and renewed!  (This is no doubt in part because we will no longer be rulers over the creation).  When God’s kingdom comes in full power in the new creation it will all be perfectly subjected to Him.

We are responsible for our relationship to God here and now, though in the future we will be in perfect fellowship with Him.  We are responsible for our relationships with our fellow men, though in the future we will be sanctified in perfect fellowship with other believers.  How can we possibly continue to argue that we are not responsible for our relationship to creation, because one day it will be sanctified?  The logic and witness of Scripture points us in the opposite direction.  We are responsible for our relationship with creation here and now, though in the future we will live in it with perfect harmony.

Christians should care more about the environment than our non-believing neighbors because we are the people who know this truth!  We have the supreme motivation to do good and live righteously in caring for God’s creation as faithful stewards, we who will see all our efforts perfected in the coming kingdom of God.  Why should we go about our lives as God’s people ignoring one of our three relationships that will last for eternity?

Psalm 104:24, 30

How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures…. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.

Psalm 24:1‑2

The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

Hebrews 11:3

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Isaiah 44:24

This is what the LORD says‑your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.

I Chronicles 29:11

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you ore exalted as head over all.

Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Isaiah 55:12

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Nehemiah 9:6

You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

Psalm 97:1

The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.

Psalm 66:4

All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name.

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A Tale of Two Books

I found a thesis written by a Religious Studies Ph.D. student at the University of Iowa (Nancy Lee Menning) entitled, “Reading nature religiously: Lectio Divina, environmental ethics, and the literary nonfiction of Terry Tempest Williams.”  Lectio divina means devotional reading, and it is a way of studying scripture where one is intentionally open to being transformed by the text.  It is what some would describe as God’s Spirit speaking to ours through his Word.  In her thesis, she outlines the four classic stages of lectio divina and applies them to a “reading” of nature, as opposed to scriptural writings:  Paying attention, pondering, responding, and surrendering.

The thesis is based on the belief that there are two books through which God reveals himself to us:  the book of scripture (the Bible) and the book of nature.  Books are usually written in a specific language, understandable to a specific group of people, but the book of nature is written in a language that anyone can understand, regardless of the language you speak or whether you are even literate.

Back in the day (medieval times), you could only access the Bible if you were wealthy enough to own a copy (books weren’t as ubiquitous then as they are now), and if you were literate (which also wasn’t as common as it is today, especially in America).  So if scripture is the only way to know God, this would have left a large portion of the population to only rely on what someone else (who was inevitably privileged, if wealthy and literate) told them about who God is.

However, nature was (and is) accessible to everyone, no matter the language you speak or your reading abilities.  And unlike the Bible, it has always been around.

Romans 1:19-20 speak to this:

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.  Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made.  So they are without excuse.

And Psalm 104 is a beautiful picture of God as the creator and provider of all he created, and how we can see his glory through all he has made (it is too long to post, but you can read it here).

Certainly, none of this is to downplay the importance of scripture, but rather to emphasize that God’s word and God’s creation (both of which God is the author) add meaning to one another.  It’s why we like to read materials that have plenty of nice images – it engages us and gives us a more holistic idea of the subject.  We develop a deeper understanding of who God is by spending time in and meditating on both Word and Creation.

Words and language can be such a barrier sometimes – think about the miscommunication we run into on a daily basis, even technically speaking the same language.  Words are tricky since everyone has a slightly different connotation that they associate with each word, causing much to be lost in translation, so to speak.  So you end up thinking you know what the other person is saying, but later may find out that – whoops!  You actually had no idea.

So it is good that we have another source of God’s wisdom to supplement the words he has left us.  Now, going back to the four parts of lectio divina.

1. Lectio: paying attention.  Concentrating on what your senses are experiencing.  When you read, you are focusing intently on the words, and listening for what stands out to you in the text.  To translate this in to “reading” nature would be to pay attention to what you are seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and in some cases, tasting in the natural word around you, as well as paying attention to how you respond to these things.  It is active participation that involves your body and your mind.
2. Meditatio: pondering.  Spending time in silence reflecting on and internalizing what you are experiencing and what is being revealed to you through what you are experiencing.  It is also the time when you put what you are learning into the context of your life and what you know of scripture.
3. Oratio:  responding.  Taking to God in prayer what you are feeling, experiencing, and thinking, so that his presence and voice can give you clarity as to what is truth.  Accepting what God has spoken to you and letting it change you.
4. Contemplatio:  surrendering.  Giving your new knowledge and understanding back to God and recognizing that it is only in his power that you can do what he asks of you.  Surrendering to God takes the burden of making change off of your shoulders and puts it fully back into God’s control.

I think that if we begin to “read” nature in this way, God will teach and change us infinitely more than we might expect.  I can imagine that he has much to show us that he is just waiting for us to discover.  My challenge to you would be to try applying these 4 principals of lectio divina as your spend some time outside in creation – find a place where you feel peaceful and undistracted.  Give God a chance to speak to you through what he has made.

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Can I Just Say…

I love being outside.  Something about it just calms my mind.  I tend to be a slightly anxious person whose mind is constantly going over all the things I have to do.  During the worst of it, the urge that typically comes to the front of my mind is to get outside and get fresh air – out of the confinement of the place and task in which I find myself and into the vast and spacious open air where there is new growth, possibilities, and room for imperfect yet well-crafted life.

There is something majestic about nature that puts our life and activities in perspective, bidding us to seek the bigger picture.

This guy puts it well when he witnesses the elegance of a double rainbow and asks: “What does this mean?!”

Now, he may or not be using some sort of illegal substance…I don’t actually know.  Maybe he really is just that enraptured over that double rainbow.  BUT.  That’s not the point.  In all seriousness, I think the beauty of creation should elicit that kind of response: high emotions, wonder, inspiration, and reflection.  All the time.

One of the great things about living in Minneapolis is the lakes (Calhoun, Harriet, Lake of the Isles, and Cedar).  Last night I was sitting in the grass along Calhoun, watching the sun go down and thinking about how the sky is my favorite piece of nature – mostly how dynamic it is and how many colors can be present on its canvas at one time.

Where the sun was going down, there were bold oranges and reds surrounding contoured white clouds lined with glaring gold.  Opposite that, toward the east, wispy clouds had turned a rosy pink, surrounded by pastel oranges, yellows, and pinks, a soft and gentle reflection of the intensity in the west.  But I found myself reacting a bit like the guy in the video – I couldn’t really come up with sufficient words to express my appreciate for its beauty, so I just kept repeating, “Seriously, look at the colors over there.  Just look at them.”  My boyfriend and I then proceeded to have a conversation about the vastness of space, how small we are, the brevity of our time here, and why beauty and aesthetics matter to us.  I didn’t quite start crying, but if I were a more emotional person, perhaps I would have.

Enjoying and reveling in the natural world brings so much joy to my existence.  Maybe double rainbow dude is on to something.

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A Long Awaited Reunion

It all started back when I was a young girl growing up in the backwoods of Montana.  I remember spending long summer days exploring the foothills near my house, where I considered the meadowlark and the deer my best friends, and where I learned to fit into the perfect space within the delicate balance around me…

Wait, wait, wait.  I don’t know who that is, but it’s not me.  I mean, that sounds nice, but I grew up in a suburb of Madison, WI.  Sure, I had a backyard that I played in; there was grass, a few trees, and a couple squirrels and rabbits that would chase each other around from time to time.  But my best friends were certainly not the deer or meadowlarks.  Or the squirrels, for that matter.  (Although one did somehow sneak into our house once, so perhaps you could say we were more than acquaintances…) The point is that I didn’t grow up in conditions that one might think of as particularly conducive to producing a person who could be considered an environmentalist.

I did, however, grow up in a home where our faith in Christ directed the way we lived.  The importance of having a relationship with God, learning to listen to his voice throughout the day, talking to him about my joys and struggles, and trusting him with my needs and desires were all things that I knew were important, even from a very young age.  However, I cannot say that I always prioritized this relationship.  I, like many who are exposed to religious practices from a young age, went through a period of questioning and rebelling against all the things that I was told were “good” for me.  It took some pretty painful wake-up calls (yes, more than one) for me to realize that the road I was leading myself down actually wasn’t where I wanted to be going.  So finally, during the spring of my second year of college, after several months of waffling about whether the God who created not only me, but the entire universe, was worthy of my piddley little life, I got on my knees and gave it up.

Ok, so that’s great, but why am I writing a blog about being a Christian environmentalist?  What does that even mean?  Christian?  Environmentalist?  In the same sentence??  Aren’t they two separate issues?  Well, I guess those are the questions that I want to wrestle with here.

Oddly, at about the same time that I began intentionally getting to know God and learning to live my life with and for him, I also began to develop a newfound interest in the environment and the effects that our decisions, big and small, have on it.  At the end of that semester, almost on a whim, I decided that I was going to change my major from chemical engineering to environmental science.  And I did.  Although these two changes in direction (my faith and my studies) felt, at the time, independent of each other, in retrospect I think they may actually be very connected.

I then began discovering the implications that both of these seemingly unrelated decisions have for the way I live my life.  When I first heard about Restoring Eden, I was intrigued that there were people working on behalf of the environment explicitly as Christians.  This was a new concept to me.  But somehow, God orchestrated things perfectly so that I landed a job with Restoring Eden, and through this experience He has been reconciling in my mind and heart the disconnect that I felt between “environmentalism” and “Christianity.”  I feel challenged to openly explore this apparent discontinuity that I, and many others, have felt and even still feel, but also to discover the beautiful harmony that is produced when love of Jesus and love of his breath-taking world unite.

I am not the expert by any means, so I hope along the way you will find an opportunity to join in this conversation with your own questions, insights, and ponderings, and by the grace of God we can navigate together and celebrate this long awaited reunion.

Photo courtesy of Alexis Illyn

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