Stewardship of Creation and “Natural Law”

Humanly speaking, 2011 has revealed a more violent and destructive side of the ‘natural world.’ In the aftermath of the late December earthquake and tsunami in Japan, snowstorms in January and February paralyzed the Eastern U.S. In the Spring, while tornadoes ravaged the southeastern U.S. and Joplin, Missouri, drought and wildfires consumed parts of western U.S., and the lower Mississippi Valley was inundated with flood waters.

God has called you and I to exercise stewardship over an often violent and unpredictable world. Yet in the face of a violent world, what does it mean to exercise stewardship or “creation care?” According to Matthew 7:24, the wise builder is one who builds on a firm foundation; yet even the firmest foundation is no match for a powerful earthquake. The land steward plants trees to stabilize steep slopes and to provide habitat and food for wildlife. Though it takes years to develop, the forest can be destroyed within minutes by a tornado.

What then is the point of caring for creation–caring for a world that seems to be more chaos than cosmos (order, arrangement)? According to Romans 8: 16-25, “the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God...” but we, along with “the whole creation, groan and suffer...waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.”

Is it still possible for fallen humans to exercise God-honoring stewardship of a creation “subjected to futility?” The answer is “yes.” According to Colossians 1:13, He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son...the Creator (v. 16), Sustainer (v. 17), and the One Who [came] to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

As members of the body of Christ, our conduct toward our temporary home, the Earth, is part of our calling to bring glory to this One Who died to redeem us and the whole cosmos (Col. 1:20). Although we and all of creation experience unpredictable violent events such as storms and earthquakes, our call to stewardship extends out of God’s original command to Adam. Adam was invited by God to study the created order, and to learn his place and purpose in that order (Gen. 2: 19-20). His study of the creation taught him that humankind was distinctly different from any other kind of creature and that there was as yet no suitable mate for him. Hence, Adam’s ensuing joy at the creation of Eve from his own flesh (Genesis 2: 21-25). Likewise, Adam and his descendants were expected to till and keep (serve and preserve; Gen. 2:15) the land– to study the soil, the water, the seeds and plants, and to understand the seasons for planting and harvesting.

Natural law ethics is consistent with what we learn in Genesis when it claims that there is order and purpose in the natural world, and that mankind is both capable and responsible for discerning this order and purpose. Thus, while we observe the eagle flying gracefully from her nest high in a conifer tree, we are supposed to learn from an early age that we are not made to jump out of trees. Likewise, we learn from our early years to establish a daily cycle of activity and rest. And, the farmer plants in the proper season and prepares to harvest in another season.

Application of natural law ethics can transform our stewardship through transformation of our character. The steward who views creation as having order and purpose will strive to learn more about his or her surroundings and how his or her actions will influence that order. The intent of the science of ecology should be to provide a theory of understanding of the natural order. Aldo Leopold combined aspects of natural law ethics and ecological holism to develop his “land ethic.” Thus, according to Leopold, “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.”

Even though communities will continue to face devastating storms, earthquakes, and tsunamis, the extent of the effects of calamities can be minimized by wise decision making. For example, according to the Associated Press, the village of Aneyoshi in Japan escaped the damage from the March tsunami because it respected the ancient stone markers representing the elevation below which building construction was known to be hazardous.

"Everybody here knows about the markers. We studied them in school," said Yuto Kimura, 12.” Here, we have living proof of the true purpose of education, not only in science where we should learn about the natural order, but in ethics and in Scripture where we should learn what is “good” and “right,” and what we “ought to do.”

Case in point: The lower Mississippi River flooding in recent weeks. Not to point an uncaring and judgmental finger at the communities now suffering along the Mississippi, but rather to ask “what can we learn from flooding incidents along many of our rivers and tributaries?” Should we place markers along the flood plains of major rivers to restrict building in hazardous elevations? What are the boundaries of rivers? Certainly not the river banks which themselves have moved back and forth by processes of erosional cutting and sediment deposition. Can a river water or coastal tides be contained by dikes? We should know the answers from experience. Rather, we must focus on the cause of the flood waters.

Although we can have little influence on the volume of precipitation falling from the sky, our stewardship of the land does influence the fate of the rain and snow in a given land area, or watershed. Rivers overflow their banks when rainfall is unable to infiltrate into the soil and instead flows quickly into drainage ditches, creeks, and rivers. When we ignore “ancient boundaries” of rivers and proceed to drain wetlands and deforest or plow steep hillsides, we hurry the water into runoff that leads to flooding.

Certainly, creation often reveals a violent and destructive side. However, our lack of understanding of the natural order, or disregard for “boundaries”, and our resultant poor stewardship of the land multiplies the extent of destruction that can result.

Thanks for reading. Let me invite you to share other examples in which ignorance and/or disregard for the natural order cause multiplication of a calamity. Maybe you can also add a positive solution that has resulted from the lesson(s) learned. Meanwhile, may we heed the words of Scripture, Do not move the ancient boundary which your fathers have set (Proverbs 22:28), as it applies to every area of our lives– reverence and love for God, love for our neighbor, honoring parents, assisting the poor, and other fundamental moral responsibilities.

Caution at the Gate to a Perilous Path

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
– Genesis 1:1

Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind... – Genesis 1:24

Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living being. -- Genesis 2:7

Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden
to cultivate it and keep it – Genesis 2:15
.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" – Genesis 3:1

Over the centuries, readers of Genesis have been introduced to the awesome Creator God through an account of His acts of creation ex nihilo. In a brief, concise fashion, the first three chapters of Genesis reveal the creative acts of God, the special creation of man in God’s image, the basis for human sexuality and marriage, the human responsibility to exercise dominion over the Earth, the first mention of Sabbath as a regular time of rest, and the temptation and fall of mankind. The account has been accepted as a divine, authoritative revelation by scholars and followers of the major monotheistic religions of the world--Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Later passages in the canon of Scripture, including Exodus 20, Job 38-41, Psalm 8, Matthew 19, and Hebrews 4 support a literal interpretation of Genesis.

Missing from Genesis is any suggestion that God used genetic variation and natural selection over millions of years to gradually create, through deaths of unfit individuals, the plants, fish, birds, cattle, etc. from the “formless and void (Gen. 1:2)” on planet Earth. However, theistic evolution claims that God used the genetic variation from random mutations as the “raw material” and He used natural selection as the means of screening out less fit phenotypes. Consequently, the fit phenotypes survived and reproduced their traits, forming the biodiversity of life on Earth.

The BioLogos Forum encourages the evangelical church to recognize that agreement between science and faith is possible and, in fact, necessary for the spread of the Gospel in the modern era of science. The Forum website states:

We cannot know the exact time that humans attained God’s image. In fact, it may be that the image of God emerged gradually over a period of time. Estimates of the historical time of Adam and Eve are varied. While some literalist interpreters of Genesis argue that God created Adam and Eve in their present form, the evidence of DNA and the fossil record establishes that humans were also participants in the long evolutionary continuum, and God used this process as his means of creation.

But if natural genetic processes now explainable by science account for the evolution of life, then what particular role does theistic evolution attribute to God over the course of millions of years of evolution? And what is there about a landscape littered with reminders of decay and death brought about by natural selection over millions of years that would cause our Creator to rejoice seven times as recorded in Genesis 1? On the contrary, wouldn’t such a pre-Adamic and pre-fall world resemble the current Earth under sin’s curse in which, as Romans 8 declares, “the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God....[when it]...will be set free from its slavery to corruption”?

The BioLogos Forum lists two scientific observations, “the evidence of DNA and the fossil record....” in support of its claim that humans are a product of “a long evolutionary continuum.” How does BioLogos interpret each of these “evidences” for an old Earth and an evolutionary origin of mankind?

First, BioLogos apparently sees in the “evidence of DNA” the evidence of gradual evolution based upon two unprovable presuppositions which are also held by evolutionary biologists. First, given the complexity of DNA with its molecular sequences of nucleotide bases that form the “genetic code,” long ages of time would have to be allowed for its formation and replication out of inorganic constituents. On the other hand, if BioLogos would interpret Genesis as a literal account of the creation of distinct genetic “kinds” by supernatural means, they would have to sacrifice the forum’s goal of harmonizing Scripture with naturalistic science. However, the price of this harmony is very high. Not only does their interpretation of the Genesis account raise serious questions as noted above, but modern science has failed to produce any evidence to explain either the origin of DNA or the complex molecular apparatus of transcription and translation necessary for gene expression.

Second, BioLogos presupposes that close similarity of genomes of different species means close evolutionary relationship. This presupposition, if true, would appear to explain apparent genetic similarities between humans and other primates. However, science is not capable of verifying this presupposition of origins any more that it can verify the presupposition that genetic similarity owes to One Creator Who created genetic kinds with varying degrees of similarity.

The second line of “evidence” for human origin by evolution, according to BioLogos, arises from the fossil record. Here, the forum agrees with evolutionary biologists as stated by Dr. Darrell Falk, President of BioLogos, “The earth is old and macro-evolution has occurred..” This conclusion arises from observations of massive layers of rocks formed from sediments believed to have been deposited over millions of years, as seen in places like the Grand Canyon. Here again, good science demands that we recognize that one who offers a uniformitarian explanation can legitimately be challenged by one who postulates that a catastrophic event such as the eruption at Mt. St. Helens could have caused major sedimentation and rock strata within a much shorter period.

Young-Earth creation researchers working at Mt. St. Helens, Yellowstone Petrified Forests, and in the Grand Canyon are raising strong evidence for a more rapid, recent, catastrophc cause of rock formations and the fossils they contain. In addition Mary Schweitzer’s laboratory at North Carolina State has presented evidence that organic molecules such as DNA and proteins have been found intact within fossils assumed to be tens of millions of years old. Either these molecules are much more stable than heretofore thought, or the fossils were formed relatively recently as suggested by other creation science research.

In conclusion, BioLogos claims that the evidence of DNA and the fossil record establishes that humans were also participants in the long evolutionary continuum, and God used this process as his means of creation. This claim is grounded in naturalistic presuppositions and is not based on any claim of Scripture that the Earth is millions of years old. Nor is the claim supported by a robust scientific explanation for the origin of complex genomes or an unequivocal understanding of the fossil record. Rather, it appears that the claim of an “old Earth” is required simply because BioLogos has sought to be in harmony with evolutionary biologists who invoke undirected natural causation for the formation of DNA, living organisms, and the fossil bearing rock layers.

A departure from the literal interpretation of Genesis 1 and 2 raises serious theological problems and inconsistencies, particularly when these accounts are compared with other portions of inspired Scripture including the words of Jesus Christ or the writings of the apostles. To do so is to embark on a perilous path that leads to questioning the inerrancy of Scripture as pointed out by Dr. Albert Mohler, and to questioning the sinless perfection of the incarnate Son of God Whose words affirm the historicity of Adam.

The mission of the BioLogos Forum to emphasize “the compatibility of Christian faith with scientific discoveries about the origins of the universe and life” is commendable. In this spirit, Dr. Falk has stated in the forum blog,

Scientific knowledge is specialized. it takes a long time to acquire and those who don't have that time because they are doing other important things have to decide whether they can trust those who do take the time. Trust us, please, for the sake of the Church.

Perhaps it should also be said, for the sake of both the Church and origins science, that those well educated in theology or natural science should be careful to recognize the limits of their expertise, and be willing to listen with hearts submitted and attuned to the Holy Spirit. What is at stake is God’s truth, accurate representation of His actions as revealed in Scripture; honor, respect, and praise for His Son through Whom God created the universe, and a proper understanding of the sanctity of human life, the institution of marriage, and the responsibility of humans as stewards of the Earth.

Christmas: Self-Examination Time for Stewards

Christmas affords us a wonderful opportunity for self-examination. An opportunity to take inventory of our spiritual and material resources that, in turn, influence our outlook on life, our priorities as God’s stewards, and our hope for the future.

Temporally speaking, the arrival of Christmas near the end of the calender year causes us to reflect upon how well we have utilized the previous 12 months of the year. And yet, Christmas is close enough to January 1 to begin reflecting on our goals for the coming year. As we participate in our daily spiritual warfare of keeping “self” from Christ’s rightful throne of our hearts, we can find great encouragement in the message of Christmas. The Christmas season bids us to slow down and “take time” to meditate on what God has done on our behalf. When we stop in this way, we can hear God’s Word to us. The God of eternity stepped into the time-space world of Bethlehem to deliver us from the tyranny of ourselves and our pride, from our lust for power and “stuff,” and even from our failed efforts to “keep the law” as a means of producing our own righteousness.

But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. -- Galatians 4:4-7 (The Message)

Jim Elliott, one of the young men who was martyred while taking the Gospel to the Waodani (Auca) Indians of Ecuador, suggested that one of Satan’s greatest fears is when believers allow time for quietness that fosters deep mediation and prayer. Dr. Al Mohler, in his 11/12/2010 AlbertMohler.com entry entitled “The Glory of God and the Life of the Mind”, emphasizes the importance of quiet study and meditation in the development of a Christian worldview:

"Christian faithfulness requires the development of the believer’s intellectual capacities in order that we may understand the Christian faith, develop habits of Christian thought, form intuitions that are based upon biblical truth, and live in faithfulness to all that Christ teaches. This is no easy task, to be sure. Just as Christian discipleship requires growth and development, intellectual faithfulness requires a lifetime of devoted study, consecrated thinking, and analytical reflection."

This Christmas season, we should especially value the quietness that was also valued by Mary whom the Scripture states on two different instances treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart (Luke 2:19; and see Luke 2:51).

As we ponder the deep significance of God’s entrance into Earth-time at Christmas, may we also realize that His entry as the Incarnate Christ was an entry into the material-spatial dimension of our personal human existence. In the midst of our enjoyment of Christmas trees and the nighttime dazzle of multicolored lights, may we take time to look high and beyond the nearby glow of man-made sparkles and urban lights and gaze into the vast array of stars and galaxies that pierce the dark sky above us. Amazingly, when the brightness of the nearest star gives way to the tiny points of light from billions of distant stars, we can sense more clearly the penetration of their light into the very depths of our soul. Here in the dim moonlight and starlight our souls are laid bare to the greater questions of life – Who am I? Is there anyone ‘out there?’ Or, ‘in here?’ Does God really exist, and if so, did He come to Earth seeking to save my soul?

Christmas lights and the splendor of the nighttime sky do not ultimately bring us answers to the deep questions of life. Indeed, many people we pass during the busy holidays are fearful of being alone in the quietness of the starry night sky. They have no personal relationship with the One Who created the Earth, other planets, and the stars. Many even resent those who believe in God and His Son Whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.


According to the American Atheists Website “Statistics show that nearly 50 million Americans are atheists. Some use names like freethinker, agnostic or humanist to describe or modify their position, but atheism (the absence of a belief in a deity) is broad, and encompasses all those terms. If you don't have an active belief in a god, you're an atheist. It's a very good thing!”

The website goes on to state, “Millions of atheists are closeted, choosing to go along to get along, and feigning religion to their friends, family, and coworkers. American Atheists understands the pressure to fit in, but we maintain that for people to love you, they must know the real you.”

But atheism fails to provide an objective answer to the questions, “Who am I? Why am I here? What’s wrong? What can be done to ‘fix it’?” Thankfully, the Scriptures answer these questions with resoundingly clarity:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1: 1, 14).

The atheistic and materialistic philosophy of naturalism claims that the natural world and the laws that guide it are the only reality, and science can and will eventually answer all of our questions. But the Bible counters with the clear revelation that

...since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (Romans 1:20-21).

The only hope for “foolish, darkened hearts” is the truth that the Eternal God pierced the darkness and stepped from eternity into Earth-space-time in the form of the Incarnate Christ, conceived by the Spirit of God and born of a woman. Thus, Deity took on the material substance of a human being and signified to us His love of the groaning, sin-cursed creation. The incarnation and the cross bridge the gulf between Heaven and Earth, between the spiritual and the material world. Through the redemption and reconciliation provided by Christ’s coming and sacrifice for our sins, the original sin that came through Adam’s abuse of God’s creation and rejection of his stewardship role (Genesis 3) is atoned for by the Second Adam, Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 15:22). Through faith in Christ, we remove “self” from the throne of our lives and allow Christ to reign. The reigning Christ redeems and reinstates us as stewards, not only of God’s creation here on Earth, but as stewards of the manifold grace of God (I Peter 4:10).

Christmas is a season to reflect on the incarnation of Christ, the message of God breaking into time and space of Earth, not to take [us] out of the world, but to keep [us] from the evil one (John 17:15). When the splendor of the night sky and the glow of Christmas lights shine on my face, do they reveal an expression that radiates the joy of Christ from deep in my heart? I hope so, for this is the joy that comes from the faith assurance that God does indeed exist. And, He is not only the Creator of the material world and the vast starry sky, but also the One Who gives dignity to my stewardship of His creation. A dignity that allows me to handle the “stuff” of the Earth in such a way that I can enjoy it without becoming soiled by excess; but instead, use it to bring glory to Him and draw others into faith in His saving Grace.

Additional Thoughts and Resources:

1. In what way does the Christian doctrine of the incarnation present a rigorous challenge to the philosophies of naturalism (natural world is the only reality) and major oriental religions (true reality is in the transcendent world)?

2. In what way does the biblical environmental stewardship ethic oppose the extremes of being so earthly minded that one ignores the transcendent reality of heaven; or, being so heavenly minded that one has no reverence or respect for the "natural world?"

3. For an additional reading on the importance of quietness, or silence, in the human experience, see another blog entry by Dr. Al Mohler entitled “‘Where Do All the Colors Go at Night?’ — Children and the Need for Silence”

Keepers of the Earth and of Our Neighbor: “Social Justice” by the Informed, Teachable, and Just

In those days we had never heard of passing up a chance to kill a wolf. In a second we were pumping lead into the pack, but with more excitement than accuracy: how to aim a steep downhill shot is always confusing. When our rifles were empty, the old wolf was down, and a pup was dragging a leg into the impassable slide-rocks.

We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes– something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then, and full of trigger itch; I thought because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunter’s paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view(1).

In this excerpt of his essay, “Thinking Like a Mountain”, Aldo Leopold articulates so well one of the convicting challenges that earned him the reputation as one of the principal environmental ethicists of the 20th century. But what made Leopold a giant in conservation biology was not his aim with a rifle. Rather, it was his “conversion” from an arrogant young proponent of the eradication of predators for the sake of better hunting grounds to a person who recognized that ecosystems must be viewed holistically and their complex food chains studied carefully as a basis for making good management decisions.

The “converted” Leopold saw the natural order as a “world of wounds” and recognized that humans needed more than an intellectual awareness to address the wounds. In His “The Land Ethic” Leopold (1) states: To sum up: a system of conservation based solely on economic self-interest is hopelessly lopsided. (p. 214). No important change in ethics was ever accomplished without an internal change in our intellectual emphasis, loyalties, affections, and convictions (p. 209). Although it appears that Leopold did not realize the scriptural foundation needed to fully develop his prescription for conservation, he recognized three important principles– (a) that the “natural order” (cosmos or creation) is a very complex and objective reality; (b) that the cosmos is worthy of our effort to understand it and conserve it; and, (c) that humans tend toward selfish, short-sighted behaviors which must be countered by moral and ethical restraint if we are to acquire the necessary awareness, “loyalties, affections, and convictions” for conservation to occur.

Across the ocean and several decades later, in the turbulent era of Vietnam and the Irish freedom fighters, John Lennon wrote the song, “Imagine” in which he invites us to

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Like Aldo Leopold, John Lennon saw a “world of wounds” but apparently did not understand the world (cosmos), the human responsibility to humbly decipher its workings, or the need for human moral and ethical restraints. Instead, Lennon “imagines” a world without political boundaries, one without anything worth dying (or living?) for, and without religion, and yet one that somehow has peace, no individual ownership (possessions), and a “brotherhood of man.” Like young Leopold who envisioned a “hunter’s paradise” by simply eliminating predators from the food chain, Lennon’s solutions are hopelessly naive and inconsistent with reality.

Interestingly, the official John Lennon website outlines the efforts now led by his wife, artist/ musician Yoko Ono Lennon, in cooperation with nonprofit organizations to fight hunger and poverty. I “cannot imagine” how a world without national governance, private ownership, and without moral and ethical restraints could usher in a peaceful brotherhood of man. Jay Richards, in Money, Greed, and God (Harper One) (2) refers to Lennon’s philosophy and asks, “Don’t Lennon’s words express the same sentimental delusions that inspired communism in the first place (p. 21)?”

We read in Genesis 2, following a summary of God’s creation of the cosmos, an account of the fundamental responsibility of man to keep the garden (v. 15). To accomplish this stewardship of creation, Adam was encouraged to study the created order so that he could understand his relationship to each creature and give names to them (v. 19-20). As a result of his understanding, Adam would be prepared to keep the garden and would also understand his need of relationship with one of his kind–woman (v. 21-25). Adam and Eve’s eventual disobedience of God’s command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil led to the entry of sin into the heart of mankind and into the created order. Satan’s deception in the garden was targeted at the trinity of essentials we have been highlighting in this essay. First, he misrepresented God and His created order, then he distorted the human understanding of this order, which led to the corruption of moral and ethical restraints. Therefore, as those who are redeemed by the blood of Christ, whether we wish to properly manage wildlife populations within ecosystems or work to bring relief to the poor, our approach must be based on knowledge of the created order and of the nature and spiritual need of man.

A century before John Lennon, England was, in the words of Andree Seu (3), “the worst of times. Ten percent of England’s population (3 million people) lacked the basics of food, shelter, and work. William Booth described government remedies as ‘well meaning, but more or less abortive attempts to cope with this great and appalling evil.” As Seu recounts, “Booth devised a strategy that was based on seven foundational principles. The first was that any plan for helping poor people must deal with the heart of man. Another was that the help must not cause further harm.” Booth was concerned that “Mere charity...while relieving the pinch of hunger, demoralizes the recipient...”

Booth founded the Salvation Army based on a proper recognition of the nature of man. He saw human beings as creatures needing foremost the reconciliation provided through faith in the blood of Christ. Booth also recognized that humans were created to participate as responsible stewards in the created order and from this participation they gain meaning, purpose, and dignity. According to Seu, “Booth and his helpers established institutions to rescue and provide immediate necessities and temporary employment and to teach godly principles of living. All of this was done in the midst of a raging public debate over political theories of welfare, and opposition from noise-makers of the “social justice” crowd who thought that charity was the government’s business.”

I believe there are lessons for us today in this brief account of such diverse characters as Aldo Leopold, John Lennon, and William Booth. From Leopold we learn the importance of understanding and respecting the complexity of the created order. Where removal of predators as enemies of hunters or ranchers had led to overpopulation of deer and elk, human efforts to save these populations from starvation and disease due to lack of food had little success. More recently, efforts to reintroduce predators reflects a maturing understanding of the complexity of ecosystems.

The best-laid plans of man often have, in a matter of speaking, a demoralizing effect on wildlife. For example, wild creatures such as the black bear that are allowed to become dependent upon human foods or scraps loose their independence and majesty and are, in a matter of speaking, demoralized. In a slightly different sense, the same can happen to well meaning attempts to help human beings. William Booth’s philosophy of providing a “hand up” rather than a “hand out” demonstrates the importance of providing “help” that affirms the dignity and responsibility of human personhood. Where John Lennon would have us “imagine” a world of peace, equality, and brotherhood, William Booth’s approach offers a practical and informed approach with proven results.

In these times of economic hardship, poverty, and political debate about how best to address the “world of wounds” both ecologically and socially, I believe more than ever, we must heed the Scriptures that teach us to honor our Creator and give thanks (Romans 1: 21). From this foundation and the inspiration of God’s Spirit within, we can be godly keepers of the creation through the understanding gained by “good science.” We can also be faithful keepers of “our neighbor” if we are guided by a biblical understanding of the nature of human personhood and an awareness that individual reconciliation with God through Christ is fundamental and foremost to any other acts of social responsibility toward our neighbor.
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1 Leopold, A. 1949. The Land Ethic. In A Sand County Almanac, pp. 201-214. London: Oxford U. Press.
2 Richards, Jay. 2009. Money, Greed, and God: Why Capitalism is the Solution and Not the Problem. HarperOne. New York, NY.
3 Seu, Andree. 2010. A profile in social justice. WORLD Magazine. May 22, page 79.

Earth Day – Keeping the Earth with an Eternal Perspective

This month marked the 40th annual Earth Day, first scheduled in April, 1970. On that first Earth Day, my wife and I had just celebrated the birth of our son, Bradley. The Earth Day emphasis that year challenged me as a young father to consider ways to keep the beautiful “blue jewel in space” from slipping into an inhospitable future; and instead, provide a planet on which our son and his generation could thrive. On the 40th Earth Day, I was privileged to participate in planting a tree in memory of a friend.

As the annual Earth Day has come and gone each year since 1970, efforts toward “Earthkeeping” or creation care have been increasingly bolstered by a better developed science of ecology and a better developed theology of Christian environmental stewardship. Evangelical Christians, for over a decade following the first Earth Day, were suspicious of those who called for the church to take the lead in caring for the Earth. Indeed, many such as Lynn White, Jr. went so far as to blame the Judeo-Christian teachings and practice for the environmental crisis.

Today, increasing numbers of evangelical Christians are learning to integrate their worship with their daily walk with acts of love, care, and benevolence toward their neighbor and on behalf of God’s creation in accordance with the dominion stewardship responsibility. To illustrate this concept, let’s return to my earlier mention of planting tree in memory of a friend on Earth Day.

For approximately 15 years until his death in 2009, it was my privilege to know Dr. Michael Horton, a beloved veterinarian and conservationist in Fairborn, OH. His passion was to restore and enrich landscapes for the benefit of soil, water, and creature conservation. To accomplish this goal, Dr. Horton motivated many volunteers over the years, including student groups from Cedarville University, other local universities, and various citizen organizations. to plant trees suited for landscapes needing restoration – wetlands, hillsides, disturbed areas, an such like. This Spring, Fairborn and surrounding communities enjoy the budding and blooming of thousands of trees due to his efforts.

And so, on this Earth Day, we gathered on the Cedarville campus with his wife, Marcia, her brother, several dear friends, and students of the Pro Terra Forma creation care organization to plant a lovely, 20-foot red oak in honor of Dr. Horton. After a brief dedication, and the shared act of shoveling soil around the tree, we gathered in a circle around the tree to offer a prayer of dedication. At that moment, I realized that we had expressed our faith at once in multiple dimensions.

First, we had connected the tree roots to a specific “place” in the soil of Earth from which water, nutrients, and anchorage would be provided so that this tree could grow mightily with its limbs lifted like arms and hands in praise toward heaven. Second, our planting effort was an act of faith in the Providence of God Who alone can cause growth of the tree through His provision of the essential components from soil and atmosphere.

The human action of planting and nurturing the tree, combined with God’s Providential supply of sunlight and water from above, makes possible a divine-human cooperative that may enable this red oak to grow into a massive specimen over the next century or more. Meanwhile, it brings joy and gladness to those who will gather beneath its branches.

Finally, as this tree grows and shades the plaque placed in memory of Michael Horton, we will be reminded not only of a dear friend, but we will recognize our smallness and finiteness. Trees remind us to “number our days” because they may live for centuries after our lives on Earth have ended. Thus, tree planting can be an unselfish act when completed with the intention of serving future generations. Furthermore, trees serve the rest of creation through absorption of carbon dioxide, pollutants, dust, damaging winds, and unwanted sounds.

Acts of creation care take on eternal significance and become acts of worship and faith when combined with a servant spirit toward our friends, neighbors, and the Earth. And with the psalmist, we can exclaim:

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
Before the LORD, for He is coming,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
And the peoples in His faithfulness. – Psalm 96:11-13

Tending to Eden: This Reader's Review

Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for God’s People
by Scott C. Sabin (Judson Press, 2010)

While our attention is still drawn to the ravages caused by the January, 2010 earthquake in Haiti, it is very timely that a book has just been released by Judson Press, entitled Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for God’s People, by Scott Sabin. Although the earthquake has caused untold suffering and death, it is only the latest episode in a longer and larger story of the injustice, poverty, and the spiritual and physical hunger that is a subject of this new release.

Haiti is simply the most obvious example of what Scott Sabin describes as the result of broken relationships that need healing. These relationships are the human relationship to God, to neighbor, to ourselves, and to God’s creation. Tending to Eden is a very personal account of Scott Sabin’s growth in grace and knowledge of God’s calling to invest his life on behalf of the hungry, supported by his understanding of the theology of environmental stewardship, and capped by practical suggestions for readers and their churches who want to add a living demonstration of the gospel to their proclamation of it.

Since acquiring Tending to Eden earlier this week, it has become more than just another addition to my small library of books on Christian environmental stewardship. Although I have not met Mr. Sabin in person, it’s as if I’ve already met “Scott” through his transparent communication– demonstrating not only a passion for God, for His creation, and for God’s people, but also a challenge to awaken to God’s call to love Him and their neighbor through participation with the Spirit in bringing forth “the justice, hope, and peace of Christ to the world.”

My acquaintance with Scott began in Chapter 1 when he introduced himself as a “typical evangelical from the U.S. suburbs, [who] had grown up in the church and accepted Jesus at summer camp.” Then, during a short-term mission trip to Guatemala, Scott realized that his faith was “personal but not particularly relevant to the problems of the world.” Like many of us whose hearts have been stirred by a short-term missions trip, he came home with a passion to make a difference.

Scott recounts his first action, “volunteering for Plant With Purpose, simply because it was the Christian anti-poverty organization closest to my home. Mine was a humble beginning: stuffing response cards into envelopes and calling donors.”

Today, Mr. Sabin is executive director of Plant With Purpose, “a nonprofit Christian environmental organization with operations in seven countries.” In Scott’s words, the aim of Plant With Purpose is “to restore our world so that it looks a lot more like Eden and feels a lot less like hell.” Under his leadership, the organization’s projects focus on planting trees to address deforestation, a root cause of poverty.

By now, you may be asking, as I did, “What does tree planting on earth have to do with the Great Commission to which we are called to present the gospel to those who will otherwise miss heaven and be lost for eternity?” Scott’s faith and approach is based on Old Testament teachings such as that of Isaiah whose message was read centuries later by Jesus Christ when He came to set His people free through His incarnation, sacrificial death, and resurrection:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to
preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom
for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set
the oppressed free. (Luke 4:18)

“God’s Word is clear on what we must do for our light to shine in the darkness. The good news must be shared by demonstration as well as proclamation (italics added). Isaiah 58:10 sums it up (Sabin, page 7):

If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”

But doesn’t this sound like “social gospel” or “social justice” repackaged into the “green movement?” Sabin explains how this concern has a long history (pp. 8-9):

“...the call to justice has always been problematic. The Israelites to whom Isaiah spoke missed it. At the time of Christ, the most religiously observant missed it. The early church missed it. We too are prone to miss it. There is a pitfall on the opposite extreme as well: forsaking the proclamation of the gospel even as we get the demonstration of it right. The “social gospel” movement of a century ago emphasized justice at the expense of evangelism. In reaction, many evangelicals shrank from mercy ministries and are only now beginning to recover from that rejection.

Demonstration and proclamation must be as one, or we rob Christ’s message of its vitality...Some have called these the two hands of the gospel, but...Gustavo Crocker, former director of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, compared them more accurately to two wings that must work together in order to be effective (p. 8-9).”

In outlining his application of the “two-wings metaphor”, Sabin insightfully states (p. 67):

“We want to give the poor bread and water. But as life-giving as agricultural produce and clean water are, this is not the best we have to give. It would be a shame if we gave only the manna that
is gone after a day, when it is in our power to offer the true bread of Jesus. By the same token, making disciples is not the principle reason behind the development work we do. Once our efforts become a means to an end, even an end as good as this, they become disingenuous. I do not feed, clothe, and educate my children so I can share the gospel with them. I feed them, clothe them, educate them, and share the gospel with them because I love them.”

Other readers may question why they should support “environmental restoration” projects when there are more pressing needs such as illegal border crossing, urban squalor, and human trafficking. Sabin addresses this question by emphasizing the need for what he calls “upstream thinking” (p. 96):

“Unless we practice upstream thinking—looking at root causes rather than merely symptoms—it can be easy to miss the connections between tropical deforestation and migration, illegal immigration, and human slavery. We have to work through several steps to see how one seemingly minor problem—deforestation—can contribute to an injustice as ugly as sex trafficking. Yet we must.”

Thank you, Scott, for sharing your personal testimony and the ministry of Plant With Purpose; then, giving your readers a theological basis for environmental stewardship, practical illustrations, resources for small-group Bible study, and practical applications that demonstrate how the gospel can be and is being proclaimed through proclamation and demonstration.