It's almost Earth Day, and there are basically two camps out there.
In one camp, you've got people who look at humans and see a plague on the planet — if only we'd disappear, the world would be fine. In the other camp, you've got people who figure we might as well use it all up and burn it all down, because none of it matters anyway.
Both of them are wrong.
And I think Earth Day is actually a pretty good opportunity to lean into a question that Christians are uniquely equipped to answer: what does it mean to be one of the Creator's creatures? Because that's what we are. Not owners of the planet. Not enemies of it. Not its saviors. Creatures — made by God, placed in the world he made, and given a role in it.
About This Planet We Live On
I'll just say it: I'm fond of this planet. I hope you are, too. It's the only one we know of that can sustain life, which is good news for us, because this is where we live.
There's this idea in astronomy of a "Goldilocks zone" — the stretch of orbit around a star where a planet is just the right distance not to be too hot and not too cold, so that liquid water can exist. And liquid water, it turns out, is absolutely essential for life. The planet also has to be the right size — big enough to hold onto an atmosphere so there can be air to breathe, which is also apparently essential for life. Who knew?
And here we are, sitting right in that sweet spot. Almost like somebody designed all of this.
Which is exactly what we believe.
Earth Day and the Controversies
April 22nd is Earth Day, and it's globally recognized as a time to think about pollution and how we take care of the planet and all of those things. And it gets controversial pretty fast.
There are real disagreements out there: How much of the world's resources should we use? Can humanity use all the oil? All the precious metals? How much land is okay to build on? Most people agree pollution is bad — but some of the things we do that produce pollution also make our lives a whole lot better. Being able to transport ourselves, heat our homes, live with a certain level of comfort and convenience and wealth — all of that is part of the picture, and all of it gets tangled up in questions of policy and trade-offs.
Then there's the question of motivation. Why do we care about the Earth in the first place?
Some people look at the planet and see "Mother Earth" — something close to a deity. Some of those folks look at humans almost like parasites who ought to be removed so the planet can be fine again. Being a human, I'm not too fond of that idea.
Other people want to worship the planet outright. Others want to protect it at all costs, no matter what the trade-off is for human flourishing.
I'd like to find something in between — and I think the Christian faith gives us a really clear place to stand.
This World Will End — But That's Not a License
I believe, as a Christian, that Jesus died and rose from the dead so that those who trust in him will have eternal life. But that eternal life isn't here. God has told us he's going to unmake this planet and give us a new creation — new heavens and a new Earth.
So how I live in relationship with this planet isn't about trying to preserve everything exactly as it is forever. But — and this is important — some Christians have badly misused that truth. They've said, "Well, it's all going to end anyway, so let's just use it up. It doesn't matter what we do."
No. That's not what Scripture says at all.
The opposite, actually. Psalm 24 opens with this:
"The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof."
This world belongs to God. Not to us.
And when you go back to Genesis, you see that when God creates everything, he places the man and the woman in the garden as stewards — caretakers. They live in relationship with the creatures of the garden, and they have a role: to tend and keep what belongs to someone else.
Two Categories: Creator and Creation
When you look at the whole world, there are really just two categories.
There's the Creator. And then there's creation.
There is only one Creator. Everything else — every plant, every animal, every star, every person — falls into the creation category. And we live in relationship with all of those other creatures because we ourselves are creatures.
That's the word I want you to sit with: creature.
We have a sense of care for our fellow creatures. And I don't just mean other people — although people are probably our highest priority. I mean we have a real responsibility to care for the animals, to care for the nature around us, to care for the trees and the grass and the plants, and to recognize them as gifts God has given.
We don't want to see them go extinct.
We've Forgotten We Are Creatures
I think a big part of our broken relationship with this planet is that we've become disconnected from the idea of creation itself. We've lost our sense of identity as creatures — as people God made, in the same way he made and created everything else around us.
And sometimes, honestly, I think we suppress that. Because if I'm a creature, then I'm accountable to my Creator for how I handle his things.
That's uncomfortable. But it's also clarifying.
I want to be honest — I'm skeptical of some of the ideas that get pushed around in the name of saving the planet. Not every proposal is wise, and not every motivation behind them is the same as mine. But I do believe very firmly that we are meant to be stewards. We are people who have been entrusted with something for a period of time, to use it — but to use it wisely, and to use it in line with the Creator's plan for us.
A lot of that just comes down to recognizing that we are fellow creatures in this world.
What Stewardship Actually Looks Like
So what does that look like in real life?
Clean water is something pretty important. It's essential for life — for people, for animals, for plants. Habitat matters. I worry sometimes when I see forest stands being clear-cut to nothing while there are empty buildings already standing nearby. I'm guessing it's cheaper to take down the trees than to tear down a building and build something different in its place. But cheaper isn't always the right measurement.
God has called us to care for our neighbors. And caring for our neighbors means thinking about how they deal with resources. Do they have the food they need? Are we supportive of initiatives and policies that let people be safe where they live — that let them thrive — down to basic things like pollution and access to clean water?
When we look at the world, we recognize that God will bring it to an end. But it's not our job to end it. That will happen in his time, in his way. We shouldn't be trying to rush it or wreck it. We want to make sure that the people who come after us have what they need to have a good life.
So there's a certain amount of personal responsibility here for the care of this world.
"But I'm Just One Person"
I know what some of you are thinking, because I think it too. I'm one small person. I can't fix the whole world.
True. But maybe there are some small, real ways to be more connected to creation — and more faithful as a creature in it.
Grow a garden
Watch a plant grow. Harvest some fruit or vegetables off of a plant you tended. That's a surprisingly powerful way to reconnect with the world God made. You start to feel, in your hands, that food doesn't just come from a grocery store — it comes from a living thing, which came from soil, which came from a planet God designed to produce life.
Look for environmentally friendly ways to care for your lawn
Around here, there's a lot of conversation about runoff going into the rivers and causing algae blooms and other problems. Maybe there are things we can do in the way we care for our own lawns that are easier on the water and the ecosystem around us. It's a small thing. Small things add up.
Try not to waste food
Recognize that there's a gift of life in what's on your plate. Whether it's meat from an animal, or plants that were once alive and were harvested so you could eat — try not to waste it. And be thankful for it.
Enjoy creation
One of the great things we have here at Gloria Dei is a large wooded area around the church, with what we call prayer paths running through it. There are stations where people can pray, but they can also just go out and sit and enjoy creation. Squirrels. Birds. Sometimes foxes. Sometimes deer. Go engage with the world with a sense of humility — recognize how small you are in the universe — but receive what God gives you in that world with gratitude and wonder. This place is beautiful. It shows the artistry of our Creator and the complexity of his wisdom in all the life he made.
Watch the sunrise, or the sunset
Watch the rain clouds coming in. And think about this: your God made that for you.
Maybe that's an opportunity to just say, "Thanks be to God."
Creator, Creation, and the Cross
When we worship God, we're right to put the cross at the center — to put Jesus at the center of our relationship with our Creator. Because that relationship was broken. And Jesus is the one who reconciles us back to our Creator.
Now, reconciled in Christ, we can look at the creation around us and say, "Thank you." We can recognize the Creator's hand in it, and we can honor his role in all of it. That's good and right.
So spend some time this week thinking about this world. Thinking about yourself as a creature. Thinking about the creation around you. And give thanks to the God who made it — and you — for all of it.
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