Creation Care

      Green. The green movement has been sweeping our culture. Organic foods, vegetarianism, solar electricity, hybrid cars, five million ways to recycle are all available for our use. I even have a precious little bird pillow that is made out of recycled water bottles. There is a plethora of options to care for our planet. Yet this movement has become a differentiating characteristic between the secular world and the Christian world.

      But why? Why is it our lost neighbors who have decided to take action? Why is it that we, Christians, have become apathetic to the physical, natural world? Are we, those called to live selflessly, that selfish that we view the world as ours to consume? Or are we scared of saying that the secular world has actually gotten something right? Or maybe we remain purposely ignorant and misinterpret scripture concerning the world.

1)     

                         While our secular neighbors are OF the world they are also the ones caring for the world. They are carrying out God’s first description of our intended creation and the first command God gave to man of what to do. Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,  and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 2:15 “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

2)       

           We have become so concerned to not appear secular (when that is the convenient thing to do) and are apathetic about how we do live out the worldly ways (when that is the convenient thing to do). Instead of Christ Transforming culture through the care of creation we are rejecting this cultural movement. This is not ok! This is our job description and we are rejecting it, for fear and ease.

3)    

                      As Christians do we have everything right? No. Just because we are smart and modern does not mean we are not following the patterns of the past and don’t screw anything up anymore. The church has made many mistakes throughout history and history is repeating itself. Could it be one of our biggest mistakes that we don’t recognize TRUTH outside of our own Christian culture?

     Creation Care is ours to claim. I have been debating in my mind what this means and how to get it right. I can’t imagine God agreeing with our current use of his planet. I am not saying that all of us should become tree hugging vegans; I do believe we are supposed to live with respect. Respect to Gods creation, respect to his intended description of our purpose, respect to other humans by not consuming what they need, respect to animals by showing kindness to life by humanely raising and consuming them, respect to nature by using just what we need and by not wasting our resources.

     We all know what we could do. Whether your feelings match mine and feel guilty by eating animals, or by eating locally raised and grown foods, using reusable bags at the grocery store, or even just taking the easy step of starting to recycle, we all know what we can do; now realize why we should do it.