When Earth Day comes around, I encounter a number of attitudes and opinions. Many take to their soapboxes and decry the myths of global warming. Others make snide comments about “liberals” and their agendas. On the extreme other end of the spectrum I have seen a few people suggest humanity is a parasititic cancer in need of extermination. Most people are milder in their opinions and celebrate or ignore the day according to their own dictates, but there is no denying environmentalism is a hot button topic. It is an issue that weighs heavy on our society today. How should we as young Christians engage this issue? Do the scriptures say anything on this matter? I would suggest that God has already voiced His opinion.
“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good” (Genesis 1:31, emphasis added).
This is a good starting place. God made a good Earth. “Indeed, it was very good.” It was not only a place for His creatures, from men to mites, to prosper in, but it was also a place full of the manifestation of His character. This planet is literally crawling with sermons proclaiming the glory of its God. Several times in the Bible we are told to “consider” nature in connection to higher spiritual truths. “Consider the ant” (Prov. 6:6). “Consider the lilies” (Luke 12:27). “Look at the birds of the air” (Matt. 6:26). We are living, breathing, and walking in a 24-hour display of who God is.
If we as the Church are God’s representatives on Earth, what does it say about us when we are indifferent to the state of His creation? If it is indeed very good, why would we scoff at people’s attempts to care for it?
Just as any other public holiday, Earth Day is not without its baggage. It is observed by many different people for many different reasons. Some use it to preach about global warming, overpopulation, animal rights, and a slew of other issues.
We do not have to be bothered by the anti-human trolls fuming on the Internet, nor do we have to fear loving God’s creation simply because some people seem to worship it. God made this good Earth. It belongs to Him, and because we are His children it also belongs to us.
When you get past the controversy, name-calling, and conflicting agendas from both sides of the argument, Earth Day is actually a very Christian concept. Who better to celebrate the goodness and conservation of God’s Earth than God’s children? There is no logical reason for us not to enjoy a day in which we celebrate nature and make ourselves aware of things we can do to be better stewards of the world God gave us to live in.
I encourage you to recognize the goodness of God shown in the natural world around us and to think of ways to better take care of it. This Earth Day, take the opportunity to celebrate the beautiful symbiosis God created between the Earth and humanity. Find small ways in your own life to reduce unnecessary wastefulness and be a more productive citizen of this world. You have a chance to show those who worship the creation that you serve the Creator, and you seek to honor Him by caring for what He has made.
