Real environmentalism: A Christian response
Posted by The Skyliner on September 23rd, 2009Jennilyn Howell
Copy Editor
It’s all over the place. You hear it mentioned on the nightly news at least weekly. It’s on billboards. It’s driving in front of you. It’s stamped on the bottom of your water bottle.
It’s a reminder to “go green.” Turn off the lights, save water, buy a hybrid, recycle. These are things the American people have been encouraged to integrate into their daily lives in light of a phenomena known as climate change, which “refers to any significant change in measures of climate lasting for an extended period,” the Environmental Protection Agency says on its Web site.
The EPA has blamed climate change on human activities that have progressively increased the release of greenhouse gases, which will allegedly have negative, irreversible effects on residents of earth. So what does this mean for Christians? Do we go on a rampage claiming that the EPA and other scientific agencies are completely wrong?
Or should we completely embrace environmentalism, tearing down our homes to donate the lumber to a paper company in order to save trees? Or should we spend exorbitant amounts of money installing solar panels to reduce energy emissions?
There are a million ways people have forsaken the problem, and yet another million ways people have taken “go green” to the extreme. But I believe that the Christian’s attitude towards the environment should be one of respect and balance.
God created the earth and everything in it, and “[He] saw that it was good,” Genesis 1 says several times. From the very beginning, we see that God enjoys His handiwork. He takes pride in the things He has created.
When God decided to make man, He decided to “let them have dominion over … all the earth,” Genesis 1:26 says. And Adam’s assignment was to take care of the Garden of Eden. God made it clear that our job is to care for His creation.
But we must remember that “the God who made the world and everything in it … He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything,” Paul said to the Athenians in Acts 22. God is the One who is ultimately in control of His creation—climate and all.
Prayerfully consider what going green—from a Christian standpoint—should look like for you. It is as easy as throwing that water bottle into the recycle bin. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Walk or ride your bike around campus—and carpool when you need to head to town.
Whether you view it as going green, being a good steward or just obeying one of God’s first commands, do your part to care for the blessing of God’s creation.
Tags: Fall 2009, Vol. 109 - Issue 3