The aardvark napped; an orangutan frolicked. Peacocks strutted, hippos floated. The gawky giraffe appears to have been designed by a dysfunctional committee! Yes, the family and I were at the Philly Zoo. Payton, my 18 month old grandson, pressed up to the fences, his little mouth forming an "o" of silent amazement as he looked at birds and beasts. Gavin was captivated by the monkey antics. The wonder of it all was sensory overload, even for me.
I kept thinking of God's charge to us, "fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over (it.)" (Genesis 1:28, NIV) "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." (Genesis 2:15, NIV) A central part of God's purpose for us is the stewardship of the earth, and what a treasure He's entrusted to our care! The Scripture never hints that we should worship the natural world as many do, but we are told to take care of it as a sacred trust.
Once, I foolishly failed to listen to those who expressed concern for the earth, dismissing the whole ecology movement as the work of 'tree huggers.' In my view it was an either/or proposition- development or conservation. That's a false dichotomy, as many are discovering. We don't have to worship the earth to care for it with reverence for it as the work of God. Certainly, like all reactionary movements, environmentalism has been characterized by excesses to which many Christians, including yours truly, responded as the stuff of New Age nuts.
Carl Weiland, wrote in Creation - "environmentalism seems like a substitute religion, with an established dogma; ‘plastic is bad, recycling is virtuous, forests are sacred sites, developers are satanical’. And much environmentalism is fanned by evolutionary pantheism. ‘Mother Earth’ is the creative goddess, who must be protected and pacified. But in any issue, we should be prepared to think carefully, and not let our reaction to extremists goad us into overlooking any Biblical principles that apply." As those who will give account to God for how we managed His garden we need to apply our minds to find solutions that allow for us to enjoy the world and her bounty, while taking steps to keep it whole and beautiful as the Creator made it. Weiland also observes - "Determining the boundary between use and abuse, between responsible resource management and rapacious plunder, is obviously a complex ‘wisdom’ issue, not one with a single Biblical answer that fits all cases."
To care for the earth is an act of worship - for Him, the Creator. I am convinced that when we give account to the Lord, it won't just be our tithe and a positive balance in our checkbook that matters when He discusses our stewardship. He will ask about how well we took care of His Treasure, how we engaged in exercising dominion (rule) over His earth.
Here's a word from the Word. Note the wonder about Creation! Need a wonder-infusion? Take a trip to the Zoo!
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" Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. ....
He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart. ...
How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. ...
May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works—...I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. ...Praise the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD." (Psalm 104, NIV)
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