Creation Care Consistent with God’s Economy

The winter of 2010 will be remem- bered for its prolonged coldness and deep snow cover which has provided extra challenges for humans and other creatures. Thus, at our home in a small “forest island” surrounded by agricultural landscape in southwestern Ohio, we observe a large variety of nonmigratory songbirds and other winter-active creatures who find food and shelter in our forest edges– e.g. cardinals, black-capped chickadees, downy woodpeckers, and fox squirrels.

Because of the availability of natural sources of food, I have traditionally restricted bird feeding to periods of extended snow cover and cold. Instead of a regular “food handout” at a feeder, I have chosen to develop a landscape with numerous and varied sources of winter food for wildlife. At our forest-edge location, we have many perennial herbs, a prairie plot of grasses and forbs, unharvested crop plants, and trees and shrubs that have seed-bearing fruits as sources of food for seed-eating birds and other wildlife. Squirrels have access to acorns as well as hickory nuts, walnuts, and hazelnuts. The live tree trunks of shagbark hickory, ash and oak, as well as fallen logs afford bark crevasses and coverings from which woodpeckers and other insectivores can extract morsels of food.

However, on this February day, two experiences persuaded me to provide extra feed for the birds. First, near sundown as I hiked across the crisp, deep snow of a nearby cornfield, I could feel the cold fingers of the winter air reaching inside my coat to pull heat from my body. This feeling of intense cold sensitized me to the challenge of the songbirds. So, as I hiked toward our warm house, I sensed (or imagined) a bit more urgency in the sounds of late-afternoon chirps and the fluttering of songbirds as if to make appeal to me for a “food handout.” The experience of penetrating coldness combined with the sight of delicate winter birds convinced me to provide some food for them on this day.

Just the thought of how feathered and furry, warm-blooded creatures survive the cold of winter is an invitation to wonderment. Indeed, how could I survive in isolation from the interlocking economic and industrial grids that provide heat, water, food, transportation, etc. But the Creator, being rich in wisdom and mercy has made provision for both man and the other creatures in His great “Economy.” (The capital “E” was aptly used by Wendell Berry in his Home Economics essay entitled “Two Economies”(North Point Press, 1987)). This Economy demonstrates true “creation care” as only our Creator can. The psalmist pours praise to God for His Economy when he writes:

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The LORD sustains all who fall
And raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to You,
And You give them their food in due time.
The LORD is righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds.
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth. – Psalm 145: 13-15; 17-18

Here we learn that God’s provision is everlasting, governed by the Righteous One Whose dominion sustains both mankind and other creatures. This Economy is much more complex than the “economy” that generates packaged bird seed and BTU’s of heat for our homes. The Creator’s provision extends to all creatures in a seamless manner:

You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing. – Psalm 145:16

In the sciences of ecology and physiology, we are learning the intricate mechanisms of how plants and animals are equipped with molecular “clocks” that interact with the rotation of the Earth to tell the time of day and thus control daily cycles of activity and rest. These clocks also interact with changing daylength to set in motion hormonal changes that orchestrate such processes as migration and hibernation. Thus, both the inspired revelation of Scripture and the “book of creation” speak of our Creator’s provision for all creatures.

What does God teach us through His Economy of provision to every living thing in such wondrous ways? First, the Scripture teaches us that God owns creation while we are the stewards (Genesis 1:28; 2:15). As stewards, we must learn the workings of God’s Economy and humbly work within its laws and processes. In Deuteronomy 7:13 we have God’s promise to Israel that if they will reverence and obey God’s law, He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground… Throughout Scripture, God promises that He will keep those who keep His laws, including the laws governing the Sabbath for man and for the land.

In Leviticus 25: 2-7, God emphasizes that the Sabbath is not only for the benefit of mankind but also for livestock and for the wild creatures. Here, we see God’s invitation to humankind to be obedient stewards of the land. By obeying the Sabbath laws, they can serve in harmony with God’s open hands to every living thing (Psalm 145:16). God’s command which stated that your harvest's aftergrowth you shall not reap, and your grapes of untrimmed vines you shall not gather (v. 5) reveals a profound understanding of sustainable use of the land. This instruction was to conserve the soil, crops, and wildlife, a principle that we are just beginning to grasp.

In summary, any compassionate effort on my part to care for the creatures at our forest edge must respect the laws of God’s Economy as taught in Scripture and revealed in creation through proper study of the science of ecology. Our example of bird-feeding serves as a metaphor for our participation in the larger Economy of God. Simply filling a birdfeeder while ignoring the need to restore and protect wildlife habitats for shelter and nesting is not “creation care” either biblically or scientifically. On the other hand, planting patches of seed-bearing plants for wildlife in winter, or allowing some crop plants to stand unharvested will provide food, habitat, and shelter for many bird species as well as allow natural predation upon the songbirds without making the birds “sitting ducks” at a birdfeeder.

As Christian stewards we are called to be a caring people both toward God’s creation and toward our neighbor. In every case, “biblical care” must respect the larger Economy in which the subjects are involved. If we simply extend “handouts” to the poor and needy, or to songbirds without considering the larger context of their need, we could be doing more harm than good. Both birds and humans can become dependent and degraded when the focus of care is misplaced. Our attempts to restore both the brokenness of the creation and the brokenness of human families and communities must be guided by a humility and knowledge that recognizes the complexities of each within an Economy that runs by a larger hand than ours– the very Hand of God. May our hands offer real “care” both to our neighbor and to other creatures by approaches that are biblical and in harmony with His sustaining hands for His glory.

Websites on Care for Our Neighbors and Care of Creation:

Care of Creation – Pursuing a God-Centered Response to the Environmental Crisis
Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization (ECHO)
Establishing a Wildlife Food Plot – from The Ohio State University
Floresta – Ministry of Healing of Land and People
Flourish – Reviving Lives and Landscapes
Urban Light Ministries – Serving God by Serving Children, Families, the Hurting and Hungry in Jesus' Name
Closed Door Ministries -- Assisting a Few, to Disciple Many, to Reach Millions

Creation Care– Doing It Our Way?

Ever get caught with your hand in the cookie jar? Can you remember that moment when you new that you were caught ‘red-handed?’ I’ll never forget an incident at my great aunt’s home. I had just sampled a chocolate drop from her candy jar without asking. Swallowing the sweet candy made me choke, and the cough brought my aunt into the room. There we were – the open candy jar, my great aunt, and me with my telltale cough.

How about you? Were you caught ‘red-handed?’ Tell-tale chocolate or crumbs on your face? And what was your first reaction to being caught? I wanted to hide, but instead my mind began to serve up excuses and explanations. Oh, I had a large inventory of useful responses.
“I didn’t mean to do it!”
“She told me to do it.”
“I didn’t see anything wrong with having a taste.”
“I’ll make up for it.”

Sound familiar? Since that time, I’ve learned just how much like my father, Adam, I am. We share not only an unbroken connection through our DNA but also an unbroken record of selfishness, pride, and desire for power. In short, like Adam and Eve, we want to have it our way:

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food,
and that it was a delight to the eyes,
and that the tree was desirable to make one wise,
she took from its fruit and ate;
and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
and they knew that they were naked;
and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. Genesis 3: 6-7

Adam and Eve hid in the garden among all the flowers and trees that God had provided to be freely enjoyed. Indeed, they had walked in the garden with their Creator, and now they recognized the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8). God came this time, not for another pleasant time of fellowship with His image bearers, but to begin the restoration process as a righteous Judge, beginning with the discipline and instruction that was now needed as a result of the first human disobedience.

It is instructive for me to consider how “my father, Adam” responded when his Father asked that penetrating question, “Where are you, Adam?” Adam knew everything had changed. He felt exposed, naked, shameful, fearful– all new feelings. But, he also chose to “do it his way” to solve the problem. He would cover himself and his wife with green leaves stitched together; and, they would hide.

God had a different solution. His answer to our depravity involves a costlier and messier extraction from His creation than detaching a few green leaves. Instead, animals must bleed and die, serve as a sacrifice for sin, and foreshadow the ultimate sacrifice, the human sacrifice of God's only Son, Jesus Christ.

Here we have not only the first instance of sin, but the first instance of humans wanting to solve the problem by “doing it our way.” Indeed, the biblical account of human history and recorded history since the first century church is a story of fallen mankind, caught repeatedly with a hand in the cookie jar, so to speak. But rather than owning up and seeking to restore fellowship with their Creator, humans have sought to follow Adam’s example–“doing it our way.” Green leaves instead of red blood spilled in order to provide the costly atonement for sin.

Today, there are many worthwhile projects in our neighborhoods that serve our fellow man and benefit the environment. But, I wonder if, like Adam, we have the cart before the horse. What good deeds are we doing that are like “stitching green leaves together” when all the while, we need to respond to God’s question, “Where are you?” If we are really hiding behind the flowers and trees of the Earth, even through acts of “creation care”, shouldn’t we come out of hiding, turn from our wicked ways, and accept the reconciliation of Christ, purchased with His blood on the cross.

I’ve insisted that creation care need not be a distraction for Christians who are called to live out the Great Commission, God’s pursuit of lost souls headed for eternity apart from God. See "Christians and Creation Care." But, knowing how I respond to being frequently caught “red-handed” in sin, I wonder if there is a proper order we must follow as those who are concerned about stewardship of God’s creation. Perhaps we should “stop on red, before going on green.” At least, this seems to be God’s plan in Scripture.

What do you think? 
Can you think of other instances in the Bible in which human ingenuity and “doing it our way” was repulsive to God? 
NOTE:  Looking back on this article, written almost a decade ago, I believe my thesis is still accurate.  America is divided morally and politically, torn down the middle, on issues like immigration, gender rights, and sanctity of human life.  Europeans face a similar challenge.  Currently, France is in turmoil over objections to excessive taxation aimed at addressing"climate change."  Wouldn't you agree that unless we recognize our need for a spiritual transformation and repent, we will be less and less able to live in harmony with our nearest neighbor let alone address global problems like immigration and climate change? 

"A Steward's Prayer"

As we approach the end of the first decade of the 21st century, it is clear that some monumental challenges will follow us into 2010. A central question facing American politics is “What is the responsibility of ‘the have’s’ toward ‘the have not’s?’” This question is inherent in the debates involving diverse issues including “bank lending to homebuyers,” “fertility for childless couples,” “universal health care,” and “global climate policy.” Consider the common element among these four issues which are often discussed in the context of “social justice.”

First, the current economic crunch was precipitated in part by a crash in the housing market brought on by the unhealthy dynamic that arose when clients with limited financial resources were awarded low-interest loans. Many of these loans were offered through banking policies encouraged in part by well meaning government bureaucrats who believed that “the have’s” should help “the have not’s” to “have it now.”

Second, the current debate over embryonic stem cell research and its potential threat to the sanctity of human life has resulted in part from the population of frozen human embryos that exist as a result of couples (and individuals) claiming their right to be biological parents through use of fertility drugs and in vitro fertilization. What or who should take precedence, the rights of the unborn or newly conceived, or the rights of adults who seek to gain from human enbryos.

Third, those who favor universal health care claim that the millions of American citizens who “have not” been covered by health insurance should be able to join “the haves.” Finally, the “climate change” debate centers on whether “the haves” among nations –i.e. those with the industrial and economic capacity to limit their emissions of greenhouse gases-- should take on the responsibility and cost of limiting emissions out of concern for the planet as a whole and the “have not” nations in particular.

In each of the four issues, policies are being drafted by our elected officials that will give the federal government greater authority to redistribute monetary wealth and (supposedly) opportunity to those who have less. Many, including this writer, believe these policies will bring major changes to American society and culture. At the same time, the growing secularization of American culture is leaving us more and more divided over what is “right” and “wrong.”

The rightness or wrongness of public policy depends ultimately upon a belief in objective truths which individuals accept and are willing to implement through their decisions and actions. For example, our founding fathers believed that the “human rights” of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are endowed from a sovereign Creator. It follows, that freedom is secure as long as the citizens recognize their responsibility to steward their time, talents, wealth, and power in cooperation with God’s divine purposes. The apostle Paul asks, “what do you have that you did not receive (I Corinthians 4:7)?”

Personally, I believe the most fundamental concept of a “free society” is the concept of stewardship. Stewards recognize that what they “have” is ultimately “on loan” from God. Such stewardship is guided and motivated by “love”—love which itself comes ultimately from the overflow of the God of the Bible Who is love. The citizen-steward who is motivated by love can do “what is required of him” as stated through the Old Testament prophet Micah; namely, “do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8)."

Political leaders and citizens who exercise biblical stewardship marked by a passion for justice, mercy, and humility will seek godly wisdom in matters like affordable housing, human fertility, health care provisions, and climate change. Such wisdom from above will help us correctly discern the respective roles of social institutions – family, church, and government—and how each can do its part in promoting “social justice” whose ultimate goal is “righteous living.” The best “stimulus packages” are those containing just what is needed for each individual and community of America, filled and provided through godly wisdom by members most closely acquainted with the needs at hand, motivated by the great commandment—“to love the Lord your God... and your neighbor as thyself (Matthew 22:37,39).”

And so, as the first decade of millennium 2000 comes to an end, leaving us with huge challenges, please be encouraged by a God Who calls us to be His children (John 1:12). As His children, we are to be stewards of the riches of His wisdom and of the time, abilities, and resources entrusted to us. God gives us the responsibility to use what we “have” in ways that promote “biblical justice and mercy” toward our neighbor and toward the creation around us.

Perhaps “A Steward’s Prayer” recently published in Flourish Magazine online will convey a stewardship perspective to you as you read and pray through it, and plan to make a difference in 2010.

Climate Change Debate Demands “Good Science”

In today’s world, science and technology influence our lives at every turn. Science has not only shaped our worldview; it literally shapes our view of the world. Digital technology awakens us in the morning, provides our coffee, delivers the news from anywhere in the world, helps us to plan our day, and converse around the world by wireless communication. The clothes we wear, the food we eat, and the vehicles we drive all shape our lives as fruits of science.

But science is not value-free. Science is a human endeavor and the fruits it yields to society depend upon the values of the culture. For a culture to prosper, it must value education and the pursuit of knowledge, freedom of expression, respect for ones neighbor, and reverence for all creatures and the physical order. Each of these values must be undergirded by an ethic that seeks after scientific truth – i.e. ‘What is true?’ or, “What best conforms to physical reality?”– and wisdom – i.e. ‘What is right?’, or ‘right application of knowledge in a world that recognizes the human capacity to do evil.’

Right application of scientific knowledge demands freedom of expression so that all who wish to participate may do so by offering rigorous critique and additional experimentation. The so-called “scientific method” has demonstrated itself to be very effective in identifying correct judgements about the natural world when scientists function as a community in a professional, ethical, and objective manner. It is particularly important that these elements be present where scientific authority is being used to influence public policy. Where one or more of these elements are missing, science risks being hijacked by a relative few who seek to use its fruits for political and economic gain.

For example, many global climate scientists utilize climate models that point to global warming to advocate both national and international policy changes aimed at reducing production of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Such policies are designed to reduce human consumption of fossil fuels and discourage other practices that are believed to cause global warming. However, some are concerned that such policy changes will provide little relief to either planet Earth or to the poor while at the same time shifting the balance of power to central governing bodies at the national and international level.

Given the immense impact of climate change-driven public policy decisions, it is particularly disturbing that the above ingredients necessary for a “healthy science community” may be lacking. It is not my purpose here to debate whether global warming is occurring or the magnitude of the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, I am concerned about the growing evidence that scientific openness and objectivity are being suppressed by political agendas both within government and within the scientific community.

For example, the recent hacking of e-mails and documents from the Climate Research Unit at East Anglia University, Norwich, England, suggests efforts to intimidate or discredit opposing scientists (or see Wall Street Journal, April 12, 2006), suppress exchange of climate data, and suppress publications that question the assumptions of climate change models. Dr. Tim Ball, Canadian climatologist, expresses his concern in a recent YouTube interview. Remarkably, little attention is being given to the implication of the e-mail exposures.

Wouldn’t a healthy scientific community be well served if it were to openly take stock of the revealing e-mails and to own up to any private doubts or attempts to suppress conflicting or controversial data? Isn’t this an opportunity to test the expertise, professional ethics and motivations of climate scientists on both sides of the issue? Certainly, the lessons of the “Lysenko Affair” in the Soviet Union under Stalin testify of how science, hijacked by political interests, both stifled scientific progress and caused starvation and death of millions . Good science may not only provide answers to the “climate debate” but contribute to a more certain and sustained rationale for establishing lifestyles that foster human stewardship of the Earth.

Individual vs. Corporate Creation Care

In her August 18, 2009 blog entry in Flourish online, Kendra Juskus, Flourish’s Managing Editor comments on an article by Derrick Jensen, entitled “Forget Shorter Showers”, published in Orion Magazine. Juskus summarizes Jensen’s thesis as follows:

“lifestyle changes adopted on an individual level are powerless to change creation’s trajectory toward destruction, and that more organized forms of resistance to that destruction are crucial for any change to happen.”

Jensen cites four major problems that result from relying on personal changes alone as a means of changing Earth’s trajectory toward destruction: First, emphasis on individual lifestyle assumes “that humans inevitably harm their landbase.” Second, it places blame for environmental degradation on the individual. Third, according to Jensen, emphasis on the individual narrowly views humans by portraying us only as consumers. Finally, its logic leads to the conclusion that the most stewardly act of the individual toward the Earth is to take one’s life.

Thankfully, the biblical basis for human concern for the Earth is grounded in a balance between stewardship of individual freedom and opportunity, on the one hand, and an accountability of the individual toward God-ordained institutions of family, church, and government on the other hand. With freedom to utilize the resources of the planet to support our lives, livelihoods, and recreational enjoyment, there is also the responsibility to limit our own consumption and enterprises so as not to jeopardize the well being of our neighbor, our local communities, and the global community.

It would seem that the institutions of family and church provide an excellent context within which we as individuals can grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and grow in the character qualities and virtues that encourage right living, love for God and for our neighbor, and frugal consumption. As the body of Christ seeks by the power of the Holy Spirit to be a “community” that mutually reinforces such a lifestyle, Christians can be empowered not only to give the Gospel but to be the salt and light that makes for a powerful witness both individually and through institutions in ways that adorn the Gospel and steward the creation.

All well and good. But are churches, particularly in North America, nurturing a passion both for the pursuit of Godliness among believers both individually and corporately as the body of Christ. Does the church stir a passion within us to seek reconciliation of God and humankind as well as between humankind and creation? Is this not what is meant when we pray, "Thy kingdom come on Earth as it is in heaven?" How would you assess your current "spiritual health" and the "health of the church?"

Encouraging Creation Care: From ‘Top Down’ or ‘Inside Out?’

Earlier this year, NASA scientist James Hansen, wrote an urgent appeal to newly elected President Obama in regard to the impending danger from climate change. He wrote:

We cannot afford to put off change any longer. We have to get on a new path within this new administration. We have only four years left for Obama to set an example to the rest of the world. America must take the lead.

He went on to recommend three actions – increased research on the polar ice caps, an imposed carbon tax, and a moratorium on coal burning power plants.

I am not opposed to taking wise action in response to concerns about the state of the Earth. However, there is a danger in being overconfident in our scientific understanding of the planet. Furthermore, there is an increasing politicization of global climate change. For example, policies such as “cap and trade” have the potential to influence large sectors of the global economy and bring potentially disproportionate negative effects on those who can least afford to pay; namely, the urban poor and many in developing nations.

Few would argue that it is the rampant materialism of both the West and the East that are driving us toward resource demands that are disrupting both the world economy and making our generation economically indebted to our children and “ecologically indebted” to the Earth. But can a combination of science and public policy cure us of this behavior? Science can point out the potential effects of climate change, and public policy can create incentives or penalties for behavior that is deemed destructive. But can a policy of energy and carbon restraint actually control human behavior while humans are in strong pursuit of a better life both in developed nations and in developing nations? How can a policy of restraint against the use of energy and carbon be effective without an unhealthy concentration of power over the lives of people?

The biblical texts call Christians and Jews to take individual responsibility for our actions. We must ultimately ground our behavior and lifestyle in the objective values revealed in Scripture-- values that relate not only to stewardship of the natural world, but also toward the sanctity of all of life and creation which belongs to God. It is God Who calls us to Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth (Psalm 46:10).

As we listen to the many voices that propose scientific, political, and economic solutions to the challenges of our world, we should also “cease striving” each day and come before our awesome Creator Whose purposes will not be thwarted. So, why not “cease striving” and spend time in meditation upon God’s Word, and upon the awesomeness of His creation. Then, consider how God would have you redirect your lifestyle away from excessive material consumption and toward conservation and consecration of your life according to His purposes for you. Spend time in a quiet place in God’s creation, reexamining your life and purposes. Or, allow God’s revelation to lift you to worship and praise through media such as Stephen C. Weber’s video Creation Calls available on You-Tube. A sustained life of "Creation Care" must begin with a realization of Who deserves to be 'exalted in the Earth' and our privilege of glorifying this God and enjoying Him forever.

The Greatness of God as Seen in the Kosmos

Have you ever experienced the reality of the greatness and awesomeness of the God of Heaven? Last Sunday, our worship opened with a lively choir number and a powerful instrumental accompaniment that lifted us as if to heaven but also brought us to our knees in humility before Him. As I considered God’s power, position, and personal nature, several words came to mind to describe Him – Almighty, Everlasting, All Wise, Infinite, and Omnipresent.

Then, I thought of His works. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth (Genesis 1:1). Genesis 1:31 records that God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. God Almighty judged the created order and all that was in it as “good” because it was a perfect representation of His wisdom and plan.

The Apostle John declares in John 1:3 that All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. John uses the Greek word, kosmos, to denote the created order which God through Jesus Christ brought into being out of nothing. It is the kosmos that God delighted in revealing to Adam when He invited Adam to study its order beginning with the task of naming the creatures and to learn his place in this great cosmic order (Genesis 2: 19-25). The psalmist declares O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions (Psalm 104:24).

From the farthest star at untold millions of light years away to the smallest subatomic particle, there is an unmistakable order that our science has begun to discern and unify into theories. Yet God is above and beyond even the greatness and immensity of the kosmos. In fact, John declares that God so loved the kosmos that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). He goes on to write that God did not send the Son into the kosmos to judge the kosmos, but that the kosmos might be saved through Him (3:17).

What has been your understanding of God’s regard for His created order, or kosmos? How have you viewed the scope of God’s redemptive plan? Did Jesus die on the cross to redeem mankind alone? How do you reconcile the concept that Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18) with John’s claim that God so loved the kosmos that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)? Careful contemplation and meditation on the answer to this question returns us to our worship of the Great and Awesome God Whose plan of redemption is much bigger than we often realize or consider in our daily lives. Feel free to reply with your thoughts in response to these questions.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name;
Bring an offering and come into His courts.
Worship the LORD in holy attire;
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved;
He will judge the peoples with equity."
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: 8-13)