Looking Up from Our Work

Can you imagine a hotter job than repairing a roof on a hot summer day?   Our asphalt-shingled roof was especially toasty on this June day.  My task was to fasten down some flashing that had remained loose for a few months after a crew had replaced our shingles.   Working from a ladder with my face near the plane of the roof and gutter, I had a close-up exposure to the heat radiating from the hot shingles.

As I was finishing up the work, my thoughts began to graze in a cooler pasture where I was being refreshed by the many things for which I should be thankful.  A winsome wife who is beautiful inside and out; a woman who has stood by me “through thick and thin.” Indeed, this very day, she was standing by to hand up tools and fasteners while I worked.

View from my roof, looking up.

My thoughts also feasted upon the fact that I had been so blessed with good health and was still in possession of my mental capacity sufficient to plan and execute this roof repair.  I excused my partner to go inside and cool off while I stood on the ladder and inspected my completed work with satisfaction.  As I looked upward across the sloping, shingled plane of the roof toward the peak, my eyes caught a beautiful view of tall treetops waving in the breeze.  And, beyond the swaying branches was the blue sky graced with lacy white clouds.

The expansive blue sky impressed upon my vision, thoughts, and praise as if to swallow me up in an overwhelming sense of pure joy.  Looking up from my work had immediately caused me to see the Creator’s work, obviously much greater than mine in time, space, and significance.

From before the beginning of time, the design and purpose of creation was known to the Father Who, through His Son, eventually created … all things…both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible (Colossians 1: 16).   The expansiveness of creation in both time and space had impressed upon me how small, limited, and insignificant my work is compared to that of our Creator.  While I was simply using material coverings and fasteners to complete a job, all things have been created (ex nihilo) through Him and for Him (Col. 1:16b).  While I simply aimed to fasten my roof together, in Him all things hold together (Col. 1:17b).

Though I felt “swallowed up” as I stared up into the great blue sky, I was quickly touched by God’s presence and a sense that my “looking up from my work” with praise and adoration was not an insignificant response.  I was reminded that my Father actually seeks true worshipers [who] will worship the Father in spirit and truth… (John 4: 23).  My adoration of Him as my all-wise Creator was an appropriate response mediated through His Holy Spirit.  I sensed that my worship was pleasing to God.

Father in Heaven, thank You for speaking to me through the Scriptures. Thank you for affirming this special revelation of your wisdom, power, and purposes through the order in your creation.  Your works were completed in six days and then you rested and enjoyed what You saw as “good” (Genesis 1:31).  Continue to show me how to work hard and to rest well as a steward of your creation and of the manifold Grace of God.  Help me to “work the works of Him” (John 9:4) Who redeemed me.  May You find my work pleasing.  Help me to remember my need of You while I work; and then, remember to thank you when I “look up from my work.”    Amen.

Imagination That Contradicts the Reality of Creation

Imagine a world in which hunger is vanquished by crops that don’t depend on soil, water, or fertilizer, or pesticides to thrive. 

        – Vice President Joseph Biden, Commencement address, Cypress Bay High School in Florida

Nothing wrong with graduates being challenged to imagine what they can accomplish.  Creative imagination is sometimes a spark in the development of hypotheses and the design of experiments.  However, imagination that sets one adrift from reality can also interfere with good science.  For example, disciplined reasoning based on the existing body of scientific theory is required to interpret data and to establish probable “cause and effect.” 

Vice President Biden at Cypress Bay H.S., Weston, FL*

Back to Biden’s imaginary crops that “don’t depend on soil, water, or fertilizer.”  Plants can grow in soilless culture (hydroponics) but not without water, nutrients, and carbon dioxide (a vital gas to plants).   I cannot imagine how plants can grow without material constituents necessary to build the cellular and molecular structures of the plant body.  Can you?

When bureaucratic agenda overreaches into science for political gain, even uglier things can happen.   For example, evidence leaked from the Climate Research Unit at East Anglia University, Norwich, England, in 2009, suggested that efforts were made to intimidate or discredit opposing scientists, suppress exchange of climate data, and suppress publications that question the assumptions of climate change models.  Thus, legitimate scientific attempts to understand the effects of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions on global temperatures was hi-jacked by the political and economic agenda scientific data to the contrary was ignored (see Oikonomia, November 30, 2009).

Here’s another case in point.  In the 1940’s and 50’s, the Russian scientist, Trofim Lysenko (1898-1976), duped the communist leadership into believing that he could produce crops that would thrive in Siberia by repeated exposure to cold treatments to make them more vigorous.  His theory was based on the false theory of “inheritance of acquired characteristics” promoted by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829).  Although his proposals were not grounded in good science at the time, they fit the communist philosophy of the rise of the working class through persistent struggle to overcome harsh conditions.  Lysenko succeeded in swaying the communist leadership so much so that he became president of the Agricultural Academy.  By the time Lysenco’s false science was discovered and discredited, Russian agriculture had already been set back for decades.

Today, as we see more government intervention into housing, health insurance, and alternative energies causing failed outcomes, maybe Mr. Biden believes that a trip down imaginary lane will lift the spirits of the American electorate.  But there is little hope for such amazing crops without a magic wand to override the scientific principles of biology, chemistry, and genetics that define reality in the created order.

The “created order” turns out to be a common theme among all of the scientific, political, economic, and religious issues we face today.   Does your reality and mine take into consideration the objective reality as revealed in Scripture and confirmed in creation?  Both biological systems like crop plants and whole economic systems that value and distribute goods and services are irreducibly complex.  These systems are, as the oft quoted phrase suggests, “not more complex than we think, they are more complex than we can think.”

Our challenge as stewards of creation and citizens of government is to learn to recognize and respect the realities of both the spiritual and physical worlds around us.  Crops will never grow from nothing; they will always require some kind of medium and constituents from which to grow.  Instead of imagining plants that grow from nothing, perhaps we should imagine ways in which the enhance the function of our agro-economic systems which already deliver a tremendous variety of fruits, vegetables, and meats to our dinner tables for a small fraction of the cost of living compared with many parts of the world.

More amazing is that our agro-economic systems provide relatively cheap nutritious food in spite of increasing government regulations, many of which are being added to protect us from eating too much; or to ensure that our children get a nutritious breakfast.  Humm, is it government’s role to protect us from our bad decisions and provide nutritious meals for children?  I thought parents were responsible to make good decisions themselves and to provide nutritious meals.  I thought parents were also responsible to provide wholesome training of their children in mind, body, and spirit, with the support of church and community.

Perhaps, Mr. Vice President, our graduates should be challenged to consider (not imagine) that there is a loving God in Heaven Who has given us His Word to instruct us in right living.   And to recognize the created order as explained in the Bible in which man was created to serve and preserve creation for God’s glory and for the flourishing of humankind and all of creation.   That marriage was ordained between one man and one woman who would be faithful to each other; and, that as God would permit, become the parents of children who would be theirs for a time to train up to use their gifts and abilities to be productive members of family, church, community, and civic organizations.  That, as professionals, they would conduct themselves and their businesses virtuously toward their clients and customers.   They would be committed to prospering financially but would refuse the temptation toward greed, or to take short-cuts that cause degradation of creation.   Instead, they share the fruit of their labor in support of worthy causes.   They recognize that there will always be the poor and those who need lifting up; but that, as they are committed to doing their part of the” lifting”,  the number of poor and needy will always be small.   That government would then be smaller because individuals would behave ethically, break fewer laws, and seek to build stronger families, churches, and communities.   

Imagine that, Vice President Biden.

Photo:   CNSNews.com,  June 4, 2012

Character Qualities of a Steward-Leader

Boys need heroes—“someone to look up to.”  My dad was my first hero.  But when I entered elementary school, dad encountered some stiff competition from my peers and from new heroes that I met in books and the media.  Television introduced me to the likes of Red Skelton, Wyatt Earp (Hugh O’Brian), and Matt Dillon (James Arness); while a rare visit to the theater introduced me to Richard Burton who starred in The Robe.  The movie created an indelible impression of Jesus Christ that paved the way for God’s Spirit to slowly convict me of my need of the Savior.

With Dad who pointed me to my need of a Heavenly Father

Adults also need heroes-- persons of integrity who demonstrate courage and consistency in the face of adversity.  Their example gives us hope that we too” can make it”, and that “it’s going to be OK.”  It’s not necessary that our heroes be flawless; but, their humble admission of personal failings provides a redeeming quality. 

Today, human heroes seem hard to find.  Our daily news is filled with disappointing reports of the failings of respected individuals in politics, sports, and entertainment.  Congress seems gridlocked and unable solve our economic woes (the Senate has not passed a budget bill since April, 2009!); and leadership that promised to unite America around a vision for “change” has instead caused us to focus on our differences.  

History has shown that even the most promising leaders are vulnerable to failure.  But, we still need men and women in leadership roles who demonstrate integrity.  Our aim should not be to make gods out of imperfect humans.  However, leaders with godly character and integrity lift our hopes to believe that those who live and lead by biblical principles can make a positive difference in a needy world.

Recently, I have been trying to identify character traits and values that are associated with great leadership, what I will call “steward-leadership.”  Thanks to my sister-in-law, Betty, I was introduced to Mary Beth Brown’s book, Hand of Providence:  The Strong and Quiet Faith of Ronald Reagan (Nashville: Nelson Current).   Brown’s biographical sketch of Reagan is a rich source of the virtues that appear to have contributed to the quality of this great president’s leadership.   Below is an outline of the virtues I have identified and grouped under three attitudes; attitudes toward God, toward others, and toward our cultural and spiritual heritage.   Then, you can read my expanded treatment of each virtue as evidenced in the words of Ronald Reagan or what others have stated about him as quoted from Mary Beth Brown’s book, unless another source is used.

A.      Attitudes toward Divine and civil authority:

1.      Humility

2.      Dependence upon God

3.      Dependence upon Prayer

4.      Dependence upon the Bible

B.      Attitudes toward others:

1.      Empathy

2.      Generosity

3.      Reconciliation

4.      Accountability

5.      Inspiration

C.      Attitudes toward our cultural and spiritual heritage

1.      Moral Foundation

2.      Providence of God

3.      Religious Freedom

4.      Family and Community

5.      Reverence for Creation

Humility:   Augustine is said to have viewed humility as the “soil” from which all other virtues grow.  Ronald Reagan’s leadership was grounded in the soil of submissive stewardship of the power and privileges of office.   Nancy Reagan’s words describe the essence of her husband’s humble spirit: 

Before he was elected, Ronnie had always regarded the presidency with great respect, even awe.  But when he became president, he had trouble believing that other people could  be in awe of him…instead, he would refer to the presidency as ‘the office I now hold,’ or even ‘this job.’

 A sign on his desk in the oval office read:

There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.

President George H.W. Bush spoke of the humility demonstrated by President Reagan during his recovery from the assassination attempt, in 1981:

Days after being shot, weak from wounds, he spilled water from a sink, and entering the hospital room aides saw him on his hands and knees wiping water from the floor.  He worried that his nurse would get in trouble.

Dependence upon God is evidenced by a conviction that the responsibilities of leadership are too great to handle well without Him.  Mary Beth Brown emphasized

Reagan’s greatest virtue wasn’t allegiance to country, but allegiance to God. 

Reagan’s own testimony of this dependence on God:

Faith in God is absolutely essential if a person is to do his best.  Sometimes we’re afraid to let people know that we rely on God.  Belief in the dependence on God is essential to our state and nation.  This will be an integral part of our state as long as I have anything to do with it.

Dependence upon Prayer was an essential part of Ronald Reagan’s life.   As governor, he was diagnosed with an ulcer, but after a year, gave the following testimony about what seemed to be a miraculous healing:

The power of prayer?  I don’t know, but I’d prayed daily for relief and I can’t forget that impulse I had to stop taking my medicine, and then hearing about those prayers other people were saying for me.

© Photo courtesy of Ronald Reagan Foundation & Library

Brown records that Reagan’s daughter “Patti says she used to watch her father when he stared off at the sky with a distant look in his eyes—one day, it finally dawned on her that he was praying and talking to God.  In her book, Angels Don’t Die, Patti writes that her father taught her prayer was simply talking to God, having a conversation with Him.”

In his inauguration speech, Reagan said,

I’m told that tens of thousands of prayer meetings are being held on this day, and for that I’m deeply grateful.  We are a nation under God, and I believe God intended for us to be free.  It would be fitting and good, I think, if on each Inaugural Day in future years it should be declared a day of prayer.

Dependence upon the Bible was expressed by Reagan as follows:

We’re blessed to have its words of strength, comfort, and truth.  I’m accused of being simplistic at times with some of the problems that confront us. But I’ve often wondered:  Within the covers of that single Book are all the answers to all the problems that face us today, if we’d only look there….   The Bible can touch our hearts, order our minds, refresh our souls.

Servanthood – Reagan understood that a “civil servant” is elected by the votes of individual constituents, and therefore, should be “civil” and a “servant.”   Here are his words from a radio broadcast, January 27, 1978 entitled, “Looking out a Window” (From: Reagan, In His Own Hand: The Writings of Ronald Reagan that Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America, New York: The Free Press: 

Some of our social planners refer to [the people] as “the masses” which only proves they don’t know them. I’ve been privileged to meet people all over this land in the special kind of way you meet them when you are campaigning. They are not “the masses,” or as the elitists would have it–”the common man.” They are very uncommon.  Individuals each with his or her own hopes & dreams, plans & problems and the kind of quiet courage that makes this whole country run better than just about any other place on earth.

Empathy – Commenting on how an English teacher, B.J. Frazer, had taught empathy, Reagan said:

By developing a knack for putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, it helps you relate better to others and perhaps understand why they think as they do, even though they come from a background much different from yours.

Generosity – According to M.B. Brown,

Even while wrestling with the enormous difficulties of running a state, Reagan always found time to help the needy and would do extraordinary favors for people who asked.  In fact, the examples of his good will are many.  When a man wrote Reagan to ask for his suit to wear at his wedding (the man couldn’t afford one, and he thought he and Reagan were the same size), Reagan sent it.  When two sisters wrote to ask for a rocking chair for their mentally disabled brother, Reagan sent the man his own.

Reconciliation – British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, describes this aspect of Reagan’s leadership in her eulogy at his memorial service, June 11, 2004:

So the president resisted Soviet expansion and pressed down on Soviet weakness at every point until the day came when communism began to collapse beneath the combined weight of these pressures and its own failures.  And when a man of good will did emerge from its ruins, President Reagan stepped forward to shake his hand and to offer sincere cooperation.

Accountability – Reagan’s leadership was characterized by taking responsibility for his mistakes.  Writing about his days as California governor to the pastor of his home church in Dixon, he said:

During my first months in office, I had an almost irresistible urge—really a physical urge—to look over my shoulder for someone I could pass the problem on to.  Then without my quite knowing how it happened, I realized I was looking in the wrong direction.  I started looking up instead and have been doing so for quite awhile now.

Inspiration that comes through words and actions often motivates hearers and observers to commit their lives to a cause greater than themselves.  Reagan inspired many of his colleagues and followers with statements such as the following:

Opportunity to greet Gov. Reagan in Champaign, IL, 1976

We’ve been blessed with the opportunity to stand for something—for liberty and freedom and fairness.  And these things are worth fighting for, worth devoting out lives to.

Again, Margaret Thatcher’s eulogy reminds us of President Reagan’s inspiring leadership:

We here still move in twilight.  But we have one beacon to guide us that Ronald Reagan never had. We have his example.  Let us give thanks today for a life that achieved so much for all of God’s children.

Values the Moral Foundation based upon a moral code as the foundation for freedom and justice in America.  Speaking at Notre Dame University, Reagan stated:

It’s time for the world to know our intellectual and spiritual values are rooted in the source of all strength, a belief in a Supreme Being, and law higher than our own.

Acknowledges Divine Providence in the narrative of American history:

Saint Paul wrote a verse that I’ve always cherished, ‘Now abide faith, hope, and love, these three: but the greatest of these is love.’  May we have faith in our God and in all the good that we can do with His help.  May we stand firm in the hope of making America all that she can be—a nation of opportunity and prosperity and a force for peace and good will among nations.  And may we remain steadfast in our love for this green and gentle land and the freedom that she offers.

Upholds Religious Freedom:

Today, prayer is still a powerful force in America, and our faith in God is a mighty source of strength.  Our pledge of Allegiance states that we are ‘one nation under God,’ and our currency bears the motto, ‘In God We Trust.’  The morality and values such faith implies are deeply embedded in our national character.  Our country embraces those principles by design, and we abandon them at our peril.  Yet in recent years, well-meaning Americans in the name of freedom have taken freedom away.  For the sake of religious tolerance, they’ve forbidden religious practice in our public classrooms… How can we hope to retain our freedom through the generations if we fail to teach our young that our liberty springs from an abiding faith in our Creator?

Values Family and Community:   In a 1973 letter to his former pastor in Dixon, IL, Governor Reagan wrote:

One thing I do know—all those hours in the old church in Dixon (which I didn’t appreciate at the time) and all of Nelle’s faith, have come together in a kind of inheritance without which I’d be lost and helpless.

Let’s begin at the beginning.   God is the center of our lives; the human family stands at the center of society; and our greatest hope for the future is in the faces of our children…God’s most blessed gift to his family is the gift of life.  He sent us the Prince of Peace as a babe in the manger.  I’ve said that we must be cautious in claiming God is on our side. I think the real question we must answer is, are we on His side?  

Reverence for Creation:  Reagan was an outdoors-man, and according to Brown,

Rancho del Cielo was a retreat for Reagan where he would go to think, talk to God, and fully experience His majestic creation.

© Photo courtesy of Ronald Reagan Foundation & Library

Brown further quotes Judge William Clark:

He once called it his ‘open cathedral.’  He’d come out of the house and look to the sky and not say a word.  The Great Communicator didn’t talk a lot in those circumstances.  Many don’t understand that, but he would just look about him with that great grin.

Regarding the origins debate that raged in California when he was governor, Reagan wrote:

Somehow I’ve never had any trouble reconciling spiritual and scientific versions of creation.   God’s miracles are to be found in nature itself, the wind and waves, the wood that becomes a tree—all of these are explained biologically, but behind them is the hand of God.  And I believe this is true of creation. 

Brown draws from Reagan’s autobiography his experience of finding bird and butterfly specimens in an attic where he spent many hours marveling at the rich colors of the eggs and the intricate and fragile wings of the butterflies.  “This experience left him throughout his life with a reverence for the handiwork of God.

President Reagan was well aware of the tension between conservation of creation’s bounty and protection of individual freedom.   In his radio address for February 27, 1975, he stated  (Reagan in His Own Hand, p. 339):

A majority of us are somewhere in the environmental middle between those who’d pave over everything in the name of progress and those who wouldn’t let us build a house unless it looked like a bird nest. …Those of us who are neither anti-ecology or environmental extremists seek an answer.  How do we protect our [constitutional] right to own a piece of this earth at the same time we insure open space & natural beauty for generations not yet born?

While not everyone would honor Ronald Reagan as a great conservationist president like Theodore Roosevelt, his writings and speeches indicate that he sought to lead with a balanced environmental ethic as expressed in the previous quote.  I believe that biblical stewardship of creation calls us to live by an ethic that allows creation to flourish while providing appropriate access to creation’s treasures for all who will respectfully utilize them.  After all, God's written and natural revelations are made more living, active, and sharp when others are able to observe God's people stewarding these revealed treasures with reverence and respect--a stewardship that regards nature with great respect while also anticipating that our lives here are only a prelude Eternal Life.  In this respect, we can learn from Ronald Reagan’s last words to America, on November 5, 1994:

 In closing let me thank you, the American people, for giving me the great honor of allowing me to serve as your President. When the Lord calls me home, whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future.

I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright new dawn ahead.

Thank you, my friends. May God always bless you.
Sincerely,
Ronald Reagan

In conclusion, I welcome your comments, perhaps additional thoughts or character qualities of “steward-leadership.” Recommendations of other exemplary steward-leaders ("statesmen"?) are welcomed.

George Whitman (1925 -2012): A Life Well Lived

In our last entry, “Stewardship of “God’s Economy”, we emphasized that good stewardship requires a disposition of reverent discernment necessary to learn and exercise our individual responsibility toward God, our neighbor, and God’s creation.   An event that occurred this week allows us to “put some skin on” this stewardship quality.  On April 9, a gentleman who demonstrated reverence, discernment, and responsibility; and, who actually bore the title “Reverend” as a pastor and friend of our family, went home to heaven. 

Whitman's celebrating George's 80th Birthday, in 2005.

The Rev. George P. Whitman (1925-2012) devoted 53 years of his life to the pastoral ministry in New York State.   George and his wife Jean, his faithful partner of 64 years, have shepherded five different churches during the past five decades.  During this time Pastor Whitman and Jean nurtured four sons and three daughters who have extended the Whitman family and their heritage of Christian faith through 23 grandchildren and 44 great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

This week, we are remembering the life of George Whitman and keeping Jean and the family in our prayers.   We honor this man as one who exercised stewardship through his God-given responsibilities as a loving husband, father, and pastor.  Pastor Whitman understood the importance of God’s truth as applied to the heart and mind of each child in a godly home through loving parents, reinforced in the classroom, and supported by the fabric of the local church and community which are the life blood of our nation.

George’s own testimony in a Christmas letter, in 2008, echoes the values that he held dear:

I attended eight grades in a One Room Public Country School (Honeywell's Corners) R. D. 1, Broadalbin, NY. (Fulton County) beginning in 1930 when the Pledge of Allegiance was a daily requirement, listening to the reading of a Psalm, and would you believe it, with the One teacher having all 24 of us quote “The Lord's Prayer” which he taught to his disciples.  The Bible and Websters Dictionary had their place on a shelf available for our use, and believe us‑-Noah Webster was "no dumb bunny".  Many of us are still hanging around (by God's Grace) after, at least, a productive life of serving the Lord and seeking to be a blessing to others, raising our families to be honorable citizens in their communities, in our country, and out as well.

Pastor Whitman was also an American patriot and cherished the opportunities he was given on several occasions to deliver the opening session prayer for the New York State Legislature in Albany.  He wrote:

While praying for America, we still say "God Bless America" and are very thankful for the great heritage handed down to us by our founders and leaders. May we never forget it, or them.  

George’s ministry at LBBC was extended through his weekly radio broadcasts called "Echoes of Faith" on radio station WLFH in Little Falls, N.Y. and "Moments With Your Bible" on WHAZ in Troy, N.Y.  Fittingly, one of his son’s, Fred,  with his wife Rachel, have ministered faithfully with Baptist Mid Missions using a radio ministry in Italy.

Pastor Whitman’s fifth church was Latham Bible Baptist Church (LBBC), in Latham, NY, where he established the Latham Christian Academy in 1979.   It was during this pastorate, in 1992, that our family was privileged to make the acquaintance of George and Jean.   That Spring, our son Brad, had been accepted by Rensselear Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in nearby Troy, NY for graduate studies and we were assisting him to in locating off-campus housing.  We called several churches including LBBC to enlist their prayers and any leads they might have concerning apartments for rent.

We received no leads.  But God’s people did pray and the answer came through the willingness of George and Jean Whitman to open their home to Brad.  They treated him as one of their own sons during the months to follow.  They also involved Brad in the ministry of LBBC and Latham Christian Academy where he was able to teach a course in computers and assist Pastor Whitman in clearing the parking lots after each upstate New York snow.  Brad wrote home many times to share accounts of the special informal times he had spent with Pastor Whitman whose vibrant, unassuming love of Jesus Christ and His creation was contagious.

George & Jean Whitman, with friends, at LBBC & LCA, 199

In 1999, the Whitman’s retired and spent winters at Sleepy Hollow Mobile Estates,  Zephyrhills, Florida.   There, George served as Chaplain and he and Jean continued to bring a sweet aroma of Christ to the local residents for over another decade.  Of course they still migrated north to beloved upstate New York during the warm seasons.

As his obituary in the Oneonta Daily Star states:  

A life dedicated in service to his Lord and Savior, he counseled many people to know Christ as their Savior.  He will be lovingly remembered and missed by his beloved family, cherished friends and those whom he pastored. 

Perhaps our son Brad’s recent tribute to Pastor Whitman is a fitting affirmation of what it means to be a faithful steward of providential opportunities to love and serve God, neighbor, community, and creation: 

 

I went to New York as a young man and was taken in (and fed well) by two of the most wonderful human beings I have ever had the privilege of knowing. I am forever changed by their influence in my life...and forever challenged by their example. Thank you, Pastor and Mrs. Whitman.

This week Heaven decided it was time to bring Pastor George P Whitman home (personally, I feel like things were getting a bit boring up there....).  Truly, truly....our loss is heaven's gain. Thank you, Pastor, for being a true man of faith.  Thank you.

Stewardship of “God’s Economy” – Reverent Discernment of His Word and World

The Greatest Teacher often pointed to His creation to illustrate important principles or to reveal God’s nature and purposes.  To his anxious followers, Jesus said, “look at the birds” and “consider the beautifully arrayed flowers” (Matthew 6: 26, 28).  He pointed to the vine (John 15: 5) and the fig tree to teach fruitfulness (Matthew 21: 19-20).

Today, there are plenty of reasons to be anxious and pout about our circumstances, or point fingers at Washington or our parents or spouses or pastors rather than take individual responsibility.  But we often face a second challenge – stewarding the Earth at a time when we seem to have limitless power and ability to alter creation from the ocean depths to the atmosphere above.  We use technology’s tools to mine the treasures of God’s creation in search of a satisfaction that material pursuits alone cannot deliver.  Instead, God is calling His stewards to “mine” His creation and His special revelation in the Scriptures with a disposition of reverent discernment that we might learn and exercise our individual responsibility toward Him, toward our neighbor, and toward His creation.

Won’t you join me in an exercise of “mining” creation-- thoughtfully considering it as Christ, the Creator, commanded?    Respectful contemplation of creation is warranted because creation belongs to God and is meant to reveal His wisdom and glory. 

 

Let’s get acquainted with three creatures and consider what lessons they might teach us about real stewardship, or oikonomia (hence, our word, “economy.”)  Stewardship in this context is management of a human economy within God’s created order, or Economy (Berry, 1987) with due respect for the laws that govern this Economy for the good of all and the glory of God.  Our panel of three creatures includes Spring Draba, Skunk Cabbage, and Black Bear.  Later, we will meet “Mr. Hourly Wage Earner” who resides in many different cultures.   

Spring Draba is an early-blooming spring wildflower which the 18^th century botanist, Linnaeus, named Draba verna.  In March in SW Ohio, the alert observer can usually find Draba growing in the hard soil of paths or trails, or in the bear spots that interrupt an otherwise smooth, green lawn.  Best if we get on our knees to look carefully-- a good posture for reverent discernment of God’s Economy.  There, you may see Draba, barely the height of the toe of your shoe.  Even then, she reaches this height only when her delicate, white flowers are hoisted on slender, leafless stalks to attract pollinators.   Until flowering time, Draba is only a lowly rosette of tiny leaves covering the otherwise bare soil. 

Spring Draba, Draba verna, with fruits (Fr) developing from the flowers.

Usually by mid-April, tiny Draba has already completed her annual life cycle.  Seeds from the previous year have sprouted and the ground-hugging, leafy rosettes have captured sunlight necessary for growth, flowering, fruiting, and production of new seeds that will be shed to lie dormant until the next Spring.  How does such a tiny flowering plant survive, being relegated to the hard-packed soil and expected to bloom on cold, windswept, March days?

Pretending to understand more than we actually do, botanists claim that Draba is “adapted to its niche,” or “occupation,” through natural selection.  However, some of us would credit a Divine Designer for originating the genetic blueprint which then has passed down through succeeding generations with minor changes through natural selection to become what we call Draba verna. 

Although Draba’s origin is debated, there is no debating the “do or die” situation that Draba faces each year.  Survival depends upon germination of tiny seeds in bare soil each Spring.   The tiny leaves unfold at ground level, the warmest place on blustery March days, to soak up the sunshine necessary for photosynthesis of food to support growth, flowering,  and seed production for the following year.  While still on our knees, we can consider how Draba teaches us individual responsibility to live in harsh places.  But Draba is not the earliest-blooming plant in the Midwest.

In February, long before Draba blooms, I make my annual pilgrimage to a nearby fen (alkaline wetland), often while it is still blanketed with snow.  Careful examination will reveal the pointy, purplish mottled spathes of Skunk Cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus, poking through the snow.   Each spathe is like a sheltering shroud that protects a fleshy, thumb-sized spike of tiny flowers within what amounts to a “warm room” in which pollination can occur. 

Skunk Cabbage:  Spikes of tiny flowers are surrounded by a hood-like "spathe"

What you won’t see on a cold, February day is the massive Skunk Cabbage taproot anchored deep within the wetland soil beneath each pointy spathe.  Here, soil temperatures average 55^o F year-around.  Within the taproot are rich stores of “heating fuel” in the form of carbohydrates stored there during the year before.  When Skunk Cabbage flowers are ready to display mature pollen to insects for pollination, the flower hikes up its “thermostat” and burns stored “carbs” that flow up to the spike from the taproot.  Environmental physiology students and I have measured temperatures as much as 15^o F warmer within the flower spikes than temperatures in the surrounding winter air!   Result?   Apparently, insect pollinators are attracted by the warmth and by the odor that is dispersed by the heat into the surrounding air.  By April, new cabbage-like leaves have emerged and their photosynthesis enables the production of many large seeds and the replenishment of taproot “fuel” for the following year.

Whereas, the Draba’s economy depends upon year-to-year production and germination of tiny seeds, the Skunk Cabbage economy is based on long-term savings and investment in underground energy reserves.   From these reserves it generates heat to accomplish pollination in the winter when there is little competition from other plant species for insect pollinators.   No matter to Skunk Cabbage if a bad year occurs; its taproot will have sufficient energy assets to “hold its ground” until a better year comes.

The Skunk Cabbage reminds me of another creaturely example, the Black Bear, Ursus americanus, common in western North America.  Like Skunk Cabbage, the economy of the Black Bear is based on large energy reserves formed during the summer by a diet that includes storage roots and tubers of plants, nuts, plant shoots and buds, large and small mammals, insects, honey, and salmon.  [Humm!  Would a Black Bear feed on a Skunk Cabbage taproot?] 

Like Skunk Cabbage which overwinters underground with its stored energy in a huge taproot, Black Bears also “go underground” in a den for the winter.   As days become shorter, bears prepare for winter’s food scarcity and cold by extensive foraging which leads to the addition of hundreds of pounds in body fat.  Pregnant female black bears have the additional challenge to their economy.   They must nurture two or more baby bears within their uteri which are then birthed in late winter.  To conserve energy, the Black Bear enters a suitable den to reduce body heat loss; and then, sharply reduces its metabolism to lower body temperature.   Denning and lowering metabolism conserve energy reserves for the bear just like a human family in a well insulated home that lowers its thermostat to save on their energy bill.

Black Bear, Ursus americanus

We have seen how one species, Draba, with relatively small energy reserves, and two larger species, Skunk Cabbage and Black Bear which depend upon huge energy reserves, each take responsibility to prepare for and survive harsh winters and rugged environments.  The energy economy of humans is not all that different from other creatures.  Each must have suitable nutrition, shelter, and social relationships necessary for procreation and nurture of offspring.  However, biblically speaking, humans have been created with vastly superior intellect and ability to enter into more complex social and political relationships that revolve around a monetary economy.

Let’s consider the laborer who earns an income based on an hourly wage or who is paid by contract when a particular task or job is completed.  The survival of many of the world’s workers and their families depends upon hourly or otherwise regular wage-for-work.  The plight of many laborers may be illustrated by the story once told by Ralph and Lucy, our family friends who once served as missionaries in Bangladesh.   Ralph had come upon a heated argument between several laborers, or coolies, along a riverbank.  It seems that at least one coolie was objecting to a request from his superior to unload bags of rice from a truck and onto a boat docked at the riverbank.  Why would a healthy, adult Bengali male refuse this opportunity for employment?

Upon inquiry, Ralph learned that the payment being offered to the coolie in rice grain for food in return for his labor was unacceptable to the man because it offered insufficient caloric value for his service rendered.  Amazingly, this man’s economy had taken into account the calories required to unload the rice from the truck, a task he was willing to do.  But, he refused to move the rice onto the boat in what would have been a smoother, more efficient operation.  Reason?   His payment in calories and nutrition would not have provided sufficient compensation for his bodily work plus extra calories and nutrition needed to feed his family.

This account illustrates the large cultural and economic gap that exists between Asian coolies and most people who read this blog.  The Bengali breadwinner’s economy required literally a day-by-day “balancing of the books” for him and his family to survive.  Few of us can even comprehend such an economy.  Like Draba with her “do-or-die economy” in the harsh soil and cold days of early Spring, many wage-earners must take day-to-day responsibility to support themselves and their loved ones.

We now return to our opening question:  If we agree that God calls us as His stewards to consider  His creation with a disposition of reverent discernment of our individual responsibility toward Him, toward our neighbor, and toward His creation; then, what can we learn from creatures so diverse as Draba, Skunk Cabbage, Black Bear, and a human laborer?   First, we learn the principle of God’s provision.  God provides for His creatures through the Economy of His creation.  All creatures must have a continual supply of energy and nutrition for sustenance.  Draba and Skunk Cabbage rely on sunlight to power their growth and reproduction from inorganic building blocks in the soil and atmosphere.  On the other hand, Black Bear and the human worker consume plants and sometimes meat as food.

Though they are diverse, the Creator has equipped each creature to obtain necessary sustenance according to their niche in the Economy of creation.  No creature can create and sustain life out of inorganic constituents.  Test tube experiments to produce even one living cell have failed, let alone efforts to create and sustain the economy of a whole ecosystem as attempted in the Biosphere 2 project in the Arizona desert in the 1980’s.

God’s special revelation in the book of Job underscores the necessity of His provision for His creation:

            But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you;
              And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you.
              Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you;
              And let the fish of the sea declare to you.
             Who among all these does not know
             That the hand of the LORD has done this,
             In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
             And the breath of all mankind?  -- Job 12: 7-10 (NASB)

The second principle we learn from the natural revelation through these four kinds of creatures is the principle of individual responsibility for survival and reproduction.   Within the larger Economy of creation, in order to survive, each creature must operate within physical and biological limits that govern its own economy.  Thus, we see Draba being and doing what Draba is designed to be and do; namely, facing the rigors of cold, March days on hard soil to grow and produce seeds for the next year.  

Likewise, the Bengali worker must complete his task for a payment of food that is sufficient for his bodily sustenance with enough extra to feed his family.  On the other hand, the economy of Skunk Cabbage, Black Bear, and many of us includes a means of storing energy or monetary assets that provide a “cushion” against immediate life or death.  However, the principle of individual responsibility still applies in that all creatures must acquire energy and nutrients during the season of opportunity and save extra for an unfavorable season lest they die.

A third principle revealed in Scripture and in creation is the principle of reverent discernment in conservation and restoration.   Successful conservation of the diverse forms of life on Earth must respect the unique requirements and context upon which each species depends for its existence.   Our panel of four creatures can each testify that even well meaning attempts to promote their welfare often represent a violation of natural laws that govern their well being.  For example, let’s help Draba by tilling the soil in those hard-packed, bare-soil spots and then add some nitrogen fertilizer.  Result?   Many of her tiny seeds will be buried too deeply to germinate; and, the increased soil fertility will enable other plant species including lawn grass to invade and occupy the bare spots and make it inhospitable for Draba.  The harsh environment that Draba is designed and adapted to face is the very key to her survival.

Like Draba, both Skunk Cabbage and Black Bear naturally benefit from simply being left alone by well meaning caretakers.  There is a reason that the two plant species have been called “wildflowers” and that Black Bear is considered a “wild animal.”   Attempts to “domesticate” or otherwise alter their natural context have violated the very nature of what they were created to be.

Well meaning attempts in the late 1800’s to conserve the Black Bear in Yellowstone National Park while providing closer access for tourists to observe and feed them led to a conversion of this grand , wild creature from bear to beggar.  As Angela Reese reported in her masters thesis (2007) 

Yellowstone condoned the regulated feeding of bears at these “lunch counters,” and tacitly gave patrons permission to feed bears themselves. Later she adds: Roadside feeding transformed passive spectators into active participants and allowed the park visitor an opportunity for interaction with park wildlife. These visitors became shapers of bears’ lives and behavior (Biel, 2006).

The same well meaning efforts, sometimes in the name of “social justice”, without reverent discernment can be as demeaning and degrading to humankind as it is with wild creatures. Before developing this notion further we must remember both the uniqueness of humankind and the great cultural diversity within Homo sapiens.

The average American has more economic security than many lower-income workers around the world.  Like the Skunk Cabbage and Black Bear, many of us have reserves in our household economies.  Nevertheless, all humans have an individual stewardship responsibility to utilize time, abilities, and opportunities to care for themselves, family, and neighbor.  Responsibility to work is grounded in the Judeo-Christian Scriptures which reveal a Creator Who works and rests.  It follows that God has given mankind a weekly cycle of work (six days) and rest (a Sabbath day) (e.g. Exodus 20: 9-11).   The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 3, that Christians should not lead “an undisciplined life” (verse 6).  Paul’s own economy as a tentmaker underscored his teaching (verses 7-9) as well as his command that “if anyone will not work, neither let him eat” (verses 10-12). 

There is no contradiction in God’s Word between “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19) and “if anyone will not work, neither let him eat.”  We are called to help the helpless; but with a correct definition of helping, one that respects human dignity.  Marvin Olasky (WORLD, 2009) quotes Josephine Lowell, a 19^th century New York City charity leader, who wrote: 

the problem before those who would be charitable, is not how to deal with a given number of poor; it is how to help those who are poor, without adding to their numbers and constantly increasing the evils they seek to cure.  

Olasky further quotes an article in Charities Review, in 1900, in which Edward T. Devine called for charities whose goal was 

not "that poor families should suffer, but that charity should accomplish its purpose." Thoughtless generosity was akin to selfishness if it made charity misfire. Generosity plus discernment was key. 

Throughout history, there have always been people in need of help.  Good stewards are to use reverent discernment to rightly identify God-given abilities and opportunities both for meaningful work and to rightly discern the right ways to help our neighbor when he or she is in need (see Ephesians 4: 28).  Nowhere does the Bible teach that it is the responsibility of government to help of the poor and needy.  The 19^th century charity leader, Amos G. Warner, understood this principle and saw governmental welfare as necessarily more impersonal and mechanical than private charity or individual action (Olasky, 2009).

Today’s news is filled with reports of well meaning efforts by Washington to help the needy while challenging the more fortunate to “pay their fair share.”  Yet Washington’s distance from the diversity of American families, businesses, and local economies, and its “one-size-fits-all approach is like fertilizing Draba or providing food “dumps” for Black Bears.  Result?  A violation of the natural order in which human dignity is often lost and an ever larger percentage of Americans become dependent upon government.

In summary, we can discern from God’s created order that all creatures are dependent upon His Economy.  Second, God has equipped each species to respond by using its genetic and behavioral equipment to “be fruitful and multiply.” Fruitfulness depends upon both individual responsibility and the state of the environment and biotic community within which a given species lives.

Third, any human effort to “help” another species or a neighbor must be guided by reverent discernment of God’s natural and special revelations.  Our father Adam’s first lesson in stewardship was to become acquainted with the other creatures with such detail that he came to understand that his niche was totally different from any other creature (Genesis 2: 15-25).  Likewise, humble discernment is necessary for effective conservation and restoration human communities and local economies.   Conservation of wildlife such as the Black Bear requires more than provision of feeding “dumps” that convert them to beggars.  Likewise, restoration of human dignity and purpose among the needy depends upon short-term assistance that includes assistance and incentives to find meaningful work.  

Conservation and restoration of both mankind and fellow creatures requires knowledge of and attentiveness to the uniqueness of each biotic community and neighborhood; gaining a “sense of place” as described in Oikonomia, Sept. 31, 2011 .   These are the tasks best taken up by responsible members of family and church spheres of authority in cooperation with appropriate local community groups.  

Your comments are always welcome.  My sources and some additional references are listed below.

References:

Berry, Wendell.  1987.  Home Economics.   North Point Press, San Francisco.

Biel, Alice Wondrak. 2006. Do (not) feed the bears: The fitful history of wildlife and tourists in Yellowstone. University Press of Kansas. 186 pgs.

Olasky, Marvin.  2009.   Giving That Worked.   WORLD Magazine, March 14, 2009).

Reese, Angela.   2007.   Addressing Food Conditioning of Cascade Red Foxes in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington.   Masters Thesis, Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA.

What Does It Mean to Be “Pro-Life?”

Our current age of sound bytes, blogs, and slogans can easily distract us from thinking broadly, deeply, and biblically about complex cultural issues.  The combination of small bits, fast transmission, and high volume of information can discourage careful reasoning and the public discourse necessary to define, analyze, and resolve social, political, and ethical issues.

A case in point is the recent exchange between some pro-life leaders and the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN) over what pro-life leaders see as a misuse of the term “pro-life.”   The latest objection came in response to the testimony by Rev. Mitch Hescox, President of the EEN, at a congressional hearing of the Energy & Commerce Committee when he stated:

Biblically, being ‘pro-life’ is far more than being ‘anti-abortion.’ Jesus said that he came to bring life and life in abundance (John 10:10). We believe that includes spreading the gospel, standing up against abortion, reaching the lost, helping the least of these, and being good stewards of God’s creation. In essence, to be ‘pro-life’ is to be ‘pro-whole gospel.’[i]

Rev. Hescox’s testimony was invited to inform the Energy & Commerce Committee as they discuss new emission standards for coal and oil-fired power plants that release mercury and affect fresh water sources.  The proposed “Utility Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MACT)” rule would address allowable levels of the toxic metal in the environment.  The Center for Disease Control estimates that at the time of birth, approximately 1 in 6 children in the United States carry threatening levels of mercury.

Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill) spoke on behalf of pro-lifers who object to the more comprehensive definition of “pro-life” expressed above by Rev. Hescox.  According to Shimkus,

Truly pro-life issues are issues of life and death” and “we in the pro-life community take great offense when an evangelical movement tries to usurp the meaning of ‘pro-life.’[ii]

Two notions of what it means to be "pro-life"

So, who is right?  Are members of the environmental movement unfairly usurping the anti-abortion/pro-life movement by expanding the meaning to the term “pro-life?”  Or, is there merit in rallying around a more comprehensive perspective of the sanctity of human life; one that calls for Christian stewardship of all of life, human and non-human?

Lest I contradict my earlier caution against finding quick answers for complex issues with a few sound bytes and blogs, I must acknowledge that this blog posting cannot be the final word.  Instead, I hope to lay out some considerations that will stimulate readers toward further reading, reasoning, and response.

First, I have an admission to make.  In 2000, during the close presidential race between Al Gore and George W. Bush, I attempted to expand Bush’s concept of “compassionate conservatism” to include what I called compassionate conservationism.  The main point of my essay published in Christianity Today was as follows:

Moral conservatives are successfully articulating a biblical worldview regarding sexual abstinence before marriage, sanctity of life, and the importance of moral teaching in our schools. Consistent with this, they must also articulate the case for a compassionate conservationism, an environmental ethic rooted in a biblical worldview. Such an ethic would redefine “environmentalists” as those who are concerned about the environment of all of life. [iii]  

My intent, both then and now, was not to gloss over the serious moral failure of our culture that allows the innocent lives of babies to be snuffed out by abortion.  I would oppose any individual or group that seeks to gloss over or otherwise diminish the moral tragedy of abortion by diverting attention from it to environmental issues such as climate change, habitat destruction, toxic pollution, or environmental and social justice.

I do not believe Rev. Hescox or the EEN is seeking to unjustly usurp the “pro-life” movement or diminish the grave importance of respecting the sanctity of human life.  Rather, I believe they are seeking to challenge us to view it more broadly and biblically.  Before drawing your own conclusions, let’s consider what legitimate objections there are against an effort to reconcile the two major notions of what it means to be “pro-life.”  Allow me to briefly list and comment on three possible objections.

First, is the argument of “confused terminology” articulated by Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council when he stated,

The term pro-life originated historically in the struggle to end abortion on demand and continued to be used overwhelmingly in that sense.  To ignore that is at best sloppy communication and at worst intentional deception.[iv]

If we are concerned that the sanctity of human life cause might be jeopardized if terminology is confused, perhaps it will be necessary to abandon the more politically correct term “pro-life” in favor of the term “anti-abortion” or “anti-death.”  Clarification of terms is fundamental to discourse on any issue and should not be cause for division, at least among those who strive for the same goals.

Let’s call the second objection the argument of “confused theology.” Hescox and the EEN make a strong case for extension of the sanctity of life ethic to include “all of life” when Hescox stated last December:

We’re called as Christians to defend the sacredness of life.  As a pro-life community we have a biblical responsibility to protect the unborn and infants from pollutants that will prevent them from reaching their full potential.  There is no known safe levels of mercury which cause neurological damage to the unborn.  Jesus tells us to do nothing that would hinder our children. Mercury poisoning from their mothers eating contaminated fish threaten our children from such an abundant life.”[v]

On the other hand, I am sympathetic with the concern articulated by Rep. Shimkus and others who object to the notion that abortion should be added to a long list of environmental concerns that only indirectly affect human life.  After all, the abortionist’s tools directly kill an unborn baby; whereas, it is proposed that coal-fired power plants that release mercury can only indirectly affect the health of an unborn child when the child’s mother ingests mercury-contaminated fish.

So, the question becomes, are we ethically responsible to do all that is reasonably possible to protect the life of the unborn from both direct and indirect threats?  In this context, a command from the Torah may be instructive:

"If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman's husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise..... Exodus 21:22-25 (NASB)

Many would interpret this passage as affirming the personhood and value of the unborn child[vi]   If this is true, and we agree that is was not the intent of the scuffling men to harm the woman let alone her unborn child, then this Scripture seems to affirm our accountability for indirect effects upon the unborn.

Returning to the concern about mercury poisoning, the science of ecology is providing a clearer understanding of indirect effects of this heavy metal which can move with food, nutrients, and toxic chemicals within the so-called food web of life.  Although few of us would directly ingest toxic mercury, or commit the act of poisoning his or her neighbor, the actions of anyone responsible for releasing mercury into water and poisoning fish or other creatures which are then eaten by his or her neighbor would seem to be in violation of the command to “love thy neighbor as thyself” if it is clear that harm or death resulted indirectly from the action.
 

Note also that the ecological food web that pictures the links between polluted water, fish, and mankind makes it harder for us to ignore our intimate linkage and responsibility to nonhuman creatures.  The Judeo-Christian theology that affirms humankind as the uniquely created image bearers of God does not give us grounds to treat other parts of God’s creation with disdain or as simply a backdrop in the human drama.  Instead, we are responsible to use our platform as image bearers to represent the benevolent rule and character of God to His creation (Genesis 1: 26-28; 2:15). Therefore, poisoning of stream water by mercury from power plant emissions that indirectly and unintentionally harms both fish and my neighbor who ingests the fish is a violation of two major biblical commands -- biblical dominion and stewardship over God’s creatures whom He created for His glory (Revelation 4:11); and, violation of the command to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 2:39).

A third objection to a more comprehensive pro-life stand may be called the argument of “murky or confused science.”  The argument of the EEN that mercury poisoning, like abortion, “threatens and impedes life” must be substantiated by good scientific data.  In addition to Rev. Hescox’s testimony before the Energy & Commerce Committee on behalf of EEN, the committee heard testimony from Julie Goodman, a toxicologist (Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University) who stated that, although implementation of MACT standards for mercury is projected to “reduce the disease burden in America to such an extent that it will translate to tens of billions of dollars saved, …the largest benefits from [MACT] are derived not from reducing mercury, but from reducing fine particulate matter (PM2.5).”[vii]  Goodman then added:

Despite the vast array of peer-reviewed scientific literature on the topic, EPA based its calculations on only two PM2.5 epidemiology studies that reported statistical associations between PM2.5 reductions and health benefits and assumed a causal relationship.

I am aware of no rebuttal to this scientifically documented testimony which cautions against adopting an environmental policy based on an apparently biased selection of scientific reports, which furthermore, suggest benefits not from mercury reduction but from reduction in particulate matter.  It is still possible that additional scientific data may provide justification for lowering mercury emissions.  Although our technology allows us to detect minute levels of toxic chemicals, there is also need to identify what the threshold levels for toxicity in the blood are and whether or not these are being exceeded under current standards.

In conclusion, the arguments from “terminology” and “theology” do not provide strong reasons to oppose the EEN’s call to extend the pro-life boundary to include “… anything that threatens and impedes life, especially impacts on the unborn and young children.…”[viii] However, the argument from “science” suggests that the jury still needs further data and time to decide whether there is indeed a legitimate threat to life under current standards.  Meanwhile, I believe that Christians who are committed to the sanctity of human life should agree to respectful discourse with others who seek to raise awareness of our ethical responsibility toward the health and well being of both humans and the non-human creation which provides the context of human life and welfare.  

---

[i]  Evangelical Environmental Network:  http://creationcare.org/view.php?id=513

[ii] Institute on Religion and Democracy,  http://www.theird.org/page.aspx?pid=2291

[iii] Silvius, J. E.  2001. Conservation: Protecting Bald Eagles and Babies.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/june11/42.93.html

[iv] Tony Perkins as quoted in WORLD,  February 25, 2012

[v] The Christian Post, February 21, 2012.

 http://global.christianpost.com/news/god-calls-pro-life-evangelicals-to-combat-mercury-pollution-64973/

[vi] Koukl, Greg.  “What Exodus 21:22 Says about Abortion."   Solid Ground , Jan./Feb., 2010

[vii] Goodman, Julie L.  1012.  EPA's Assessment of Health Benefits Associated with PM2.5 Reductions for the Final Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.  See http://junksciencecom.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/hhrg-112-if03-wstate-jgoodman-20120208.pdf

[viii]  Mitch Hescox as quoted in WORLD,  February 25, 2012