Coming up this Wednesday, April 22, is Earth Day. It is a day designed to create appreciation and awareness for creation and the world in which we live. It is also a day designed to cause us to stop and reflect on our behavior towards the earth's resources and how our lifestyles may be doing damage to the environment. For years, Christians have often shied away from this kind of stuff. They leave to to the "tree huggers" and those of a more liberal and progressive persuasion to deal with the "earth care" stuff. But, thankfully, we are beginning to make some progress in seeing earth care as the responsibility of all Christians - and all people's - and giving careful thought to our actions and lifestyles and how they affect the environment. In recognition of Earth Day, I share this excerpt from entitled Serve God Save the Planet: A Christian's Call to Action, by Matthew Sleeth.
"What is your behavior toward God's creation? Most of us are not able to walk down pathways we have planted with trees. We do not know how many pounds of trash we have plucked out of streams. We have not composted our yard waste, much less eradicated an invasive species of algae from a pond. For the majority of us, our relationship to the created world is not one of caretaker or steward. Our typical reaction to nature is to not see it, or to see it only when a vacation or a sporting activity takes us into contact with it. It is sobering for me to admit that I can identify more species of automobiles than trees.
Are you kinder than average in your treatment of the earth and your neighbors? In order to move from thought to action, you will have to recognize that some action is needed. For actions in which there is no universal right or wrong, it can be helpful at least to be aware of what others are doing. We may think of ourselves philanthropic and generous until we see a widow giving away her last two pennies.
When we ar truly grateful, we give God thanks for our blessings. When we are ungrateful or feel a sense of entitlement toward material blessings, we tend to ignore or mnot give thanks. Many of us give thanks for our food. We know that farmers have worked hard to produce it, and that God has provided the sun and rain and wind vital to the harvest. We bow our heads in prayer and thank God for our food. Few of us recognize however, that people work, fight, and die to bring us energy.
Energy - electricity, wood, coal, gasoline, propane, and oil - is like food. It is a blessing, and it sustains us. Our relationship to God's gifts can be one of entitlement, ignorance, and gluttony or one of praise, thanks, and temperance.
When was the last time yo bowed your head in thanks when filling your car with gasoline? If you haven't done so, is it because you don't think it is a blessing? Do you feel entitled to fill up? Is home heating oil something God or the world owses you? Do you feel you should have all you want, and at the price you want?"
I think one thing this author does is cause me to see how often I view life as an entitlement rather then a gift. When we see the earth and creation as an entitlement, we feel free to use it any way we want without any regard for the damage we may be doing or for what we are handing on to the next generation. When we see creation as an entitlement, we lose a sense of wonder about it and we only see it in utilitarian ways - how can it meet my needs? how can it supply what I want? To acknowledge God as the Creator is to acknowledge that God is the giver of all we have and possess. And, God has given us a magnificent creation to enjoy, steward, nurture, and care for so we can pass it on to the next generation.
Happy Earth Day!
Scott
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