How did I miss it? Yesterday was Earth Day, and I made no mention of it at all in our Sunday gathering. Come to think of it, I have never mentioned it. How can this be? Should I as a Christ-follower be aware of – even supportive of – efforts to be better stewards of God’s creation? When put that way, the answer seems obvious.
Most people raised in churches distrust “tree-huggers” – liberals or new agers or nature-worshipers or radicals. Many of them are, but does that justify our not stressing care of God’s creation. Should we not model environmental stewardship? And not just one day of the year, but every day!
Some people might argue that Earth Day is a pagan (i.e. non-Christian) event, that we should remain separate from the world. Like that’s ever stopped us at other times: Valentines Day, Christmas, Easter (derived from Ishtar, goddess of fertility), or even the days of the week, named after Greek gods). But maybe we need to remind ourselves that we serve the Risen Lord, that we are called to boldly live and serve Him here on earth just as He is served in heaven, and that stewardship is more than thrifty money-management, it is honouring God through His creation as stewards, not as owners!
Apparently it is disputed whether in fact humans are fully to blame for global-warming, that in fact there is a regular fluctuation of global temperatures. Not everyone agrees with Al Gore’s apocalyptic warnings. Regardless, I am not suggesting that we hop on the Earth Day bandwagon because its trendy or urgent, I am suggesting that we always consider how to better steward the beautiful gift that is our planet.
Maybe we as Christ-followers should be the loudest advocates of Earth Day, not earth as our Mother but earth as our Sister, created by God with us, for us, for His glory. And maybe, just maybe, as we witness boldly for Jesus also in environmental stewardship, that some of these liberals or new agers or nature-worshipers or radicals will come to see and receive Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Tell me what you think?