One day, Jesus is going to come back, and this Earth will pass away, so why should I care about the environment? I wonder how many of us have heard this before, perhaps even said it before. It can be easy, can’t it? Logical, even when faced with God’s plans and prophecies, to think that environmental care is trivial.
Whilst I hope to have addressed such a thought in my posts on Creation Care and Creation Stewardship, I believe it would be beneficial to go through a few reasons as to why we should care for creation, even one that is passing away.
Reason One – Because it’s one of the first commands God ever gave humanity.
If you’ve been following the series so far, then you’ll know this reason well. In Genesis 2:15, we are told:
Genesis 2:15 NKJV
Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.
The Hebrew word translated as ‘tend’ is ‘âbad (pronounced: aw-bad’), which means to work, to serve, or to till. The Hebrew word translated as ‘keep’ is shâmar (pronounced: shaw-mar’), which means to guard, protect, attend to, and preserve.
God makes it very clear in this verse what humanity’s relationship to creation is to be, we are meant to be stewards, guardians, people who look after the Earth and protect it. This sentiment expressed at the beginning of time still holds true today because we are told that God ‘is the same yesterday, today and forever’ (Heb 13:8).
Therefore, what He said and meant millennia ago, He still means today. More than that, even after the fall, we see God’s expectation for how His people ought to treat His creation remains unchanged.
Leviticus 25:3-5 tells us:
Leviticus 25:3-5 NKJV
3 Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; 4 but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. 5 What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land.
This verse perfectly encapsulates our role as Creation Stewards as it shows us that the Earth is not ours but the Lord’s, a sentiment reinforced by King David in Psalms 24:1.
We are to steward the land we are given and do so in the way God instructs. In this case, the Israelites were to allow the land they had been given to rest for a year, to simply be, and to produce of its own accord. The reason for this is explained in verses 6-7, where God goes on to say:
Leviticus 25:6-7 NKJV
6 And the sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for your male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you, 7 for the livestock and the beasts that are in your land—all its produce shall be for food.
Again, we see perfectly encapsulated here what being a creation steward is all about.
In obeying this command, the Israelites had to trust God enough that their uncultivated land would produce enough food for themselves and their family, all their staff, immigrants living on the land, their cattle, and the wild animals living on and around the land.
They had to believe that in obeying the command of God, He would make their land prosperous enough to support them.
This is the heart of creation care and stewardship, it is caring for the land and having a relationship with creation centered on God and His word, trusting that as we follow His commands and leadings, He will take care of everything else.
It is understanding that yes, as stewards, we play a large part in the success of creation, but ultimately, we are not its creator or owner, and so we can only do what the creator instructs us to do, which also means we cannot say we will not care for creation if we have been instructed to care for it.
However, more than that, we see the heart of God for His creation reflected in this verse. God’s command to let the land rest ensures that everyone is taken care of, from the family who stewards the land all the way to the wild animals who live on it.
Therefore, we see that it is God’s desire that there be a sort of partnership, or, rather, an active relationship between people and creation that holds God at its centre.
People care for the land as instructed by God, and in turn, the land yields its increase as it is blessed by God. This relationship ensures everyone, from the least to the greatest, is taken care of.
Stewarding the land in this way ensures that no one lacks, from the young wild animal to the owner of the land, and that is God’s heart that no one lacks and all are taken care of. From the land to the beings living on the land, which leads on to reason number two.
Reason Two – Because it’s an outworking of love
In 1 John 3:17, the Bible says:
1 John 3:17 NKJV
But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
I remember reading the passage of scripture, this verse is found in a couple of times, and every time I read it, my eye was drawn to verse 17. I had been praying about the exact question this article is answering because, whilst I knew we should care for creation, I couldn’t yet articulate why.
It was as I prayed that I felt led to this passage of scripture in which I saw that caring for creation is an outworking of love. It is impossible to separate people from creation, and in caring for one, you help the other. Engaging in creation care, that is, caring for the environment, will result in the lives of people worldwide being improved.
Okay, so why not care for people? Why care for creation specifically? That’s a perfectly acceptable way to go about creation care, but most individuals don’t steward people (have authority over them or decide what happens to them) in the same way they steward the land around them. For example, it’s a lot easier to pick up litter than it is to create affordable homes that run on renewable energy, and whilst both are doable, one is far more accessible for the everyday person than the other.
Starting litter picking initiatives or community gardens are great creation care options that have immediate effects. Litter picking reduces the amount of harmful toxins that would otherwise fall into waterways or bleed into the soil, which protects wildlife and people. You also help improve the property value of the area by making it look more appealing.
Community gardens are a great way to build (you guessed it!) community and can go towards helping people who may be struggling with grocery prices have fresh food in their homes. If you plant wild, pollinator, or heritage gardens, you also contribute to creating a more robust food system, as well as help maintain healthy ecosystems.
These are just two examples of how caring for the land contributes to caring for people, which is, in turn, a fulfillment of 1 John 3:17. How? Well, let’s take the gardening example. You may have access to a garden, whilst others may not, or a plot of land that others may not have. By growing food in your garden, you may be able to give some of your produce to those who need it, or by opening up your plot of land to become a community garden, you may give people the opportunity to grow their own food. You use your ‘goods’ to address your ‘brother in need’.
In the above two examples, we see, in a way, Leviticus 25:6-7 being fulfilled. By stewarding the land as God has commanded (Gen 2:15), you look after yourself, your family, everyone in your community, as well as wildlife. God intends for creation care to be something that benefits everyone, and by engaging in it, you actively help steward all of creation, people and animals included. Which leads on to reason number three.
Reason Three – the Earth is the Lord’s
We’ve already spoken about this, but I want to go into it in a bit more detail. We know, because the Bible tells us, that the Earth is the Lord’s (Psalms 24:1) and therefore ultimately it is not for us to say we will care for the Earth just as it is not for us to say we won’t care for the Earth. We do what God instructs, always.
If He were to revoke the authority He gave us in Genesis 1 and the reason He put us in creation as evidenced in Genesis 2, then yes, it would no longer be a necessity to care for creation, but both the authority and reason still stand, and so we are still expected to care for creation. As I was meditating on all of this, this example came to my mind.
A great king has hired a steward to look after a beautiful house he owns. He gives the steward a tour of the grand house, showing them the living quarters, the kitchens, and the many rooms, each designed for a specific purpose. Once the tour is over, he turns to the steward with a smile.
Spectacular, isn’t it?
Oh, yes! The steward says. One of the most beautiful houses I’ve ever seen. The king smiles, looking at his grand home.
Many people live in this house. Some who are very dear to me and others who don’t know me at all. I took great care to make sure this house had everything a person could ever need.
It is beautiful. The steward says again.
Alas, says the king, it is only temporary.
Temporary? The steward asks.
Yes, for in a little while I will knock it down.
Oh. The steward says, somewhat bemused. Why?
Because of that. The king points to specks of black mold.
Ah, mold. The steward says.
Yes, it goes to the very foundation of the house.
Why not just knock it down now?
Many things must still take place before I can knock it down, and besides, where would all the people living in it go? No, the house still serves a purpose, and I need you to tend to it for me until it is time for me to knock it down.
Alright. The steward says, You’re the king.
You likely got the meaning of this little story, but just to say it plain, the king (God) has employed the steward (us) to look after His house (creation) until it is time for Him to knock it down.
As the rightful owner of the house, we listen and do as He says, even if it doesn’t make complete sense to us. He has instructed us to look after creation, and so it is our responsibility to do so until He comes to knock it down.
Yes, He has a plan to eventually create a new house, but do you want to know one of the wonderful things about that plan? We are included in it as stewards of the current house (people and animals included).
Want one final piece of evidence to care for creation? Alright! As we steward creation as we have been instructed to do, we will also get to enjoy its many wonders, which is what God intended.
I mean, who doesn’t want to walk through flourishing rainforests, walk on millennia-old glaciers, or swim with dolphins in pristine oceans? Who doesn’t want to see Monarch Butterflies in their garden or Barn Swallows fluttering about?
Who doesn’t want to eat avocados, drink coffee, or simply see people enjoying the beauty of God’s creation? I know I do, and whether you enjoy all of these things, some of these things, or none of these things, whatever you do enjoy, you enjoy here in the midst of God’s creation.
It therefore makes sense to care for creation both out of gratitude to God and in worship of Him. Yes, because we are expected to, but also so we can enjoy it.
So, why should we care for creation? Because it’s ours to take care of and ours to enjoy.
And there you have it! Three reasons why we should care for creation even if it is passing away. In the finale of this series, we’re going to begin looking at how we can care for creation. See you then!