Stewardship of the Creation

From the lichen and moss clinging to the rocks of a mountain ridge to the cluster of sea squirts in the sounds along the coast, I am always amazed at the abundance and diversity of life. I have never tired of watching the quiet fall of snow flakes tucking in a forest with a blanket of snow, the sudden rush of a thunderstorm on the Outer Banks, the economy of life in a desert, or a clump of cord grass holding together a salt marsh while hosting periwinkle snails and turkey mussels. I have grazed my way along mountain trails lined with blueberries. I have found, free for the taking, fish, crabs, and shrimp in the waters of our coast.

Perhaps the greatest wonder of all is to plant a seed and watch it produce vegetables in my garden. Science tells me of the ecosystems at work, turning the sun’s energy and the earth’s matter into life-sustaining forms. I know that I am part of these ecosystems, and that my actions affect them. Nature itself reminds me that the Creator brought all this into being. My gratitude tells me to find some way to show my thankfulness for this gift by using it carefully and by sharing it with my fellow creatures.

My active interest in preserving the environment began with an ice storm that ravaged Hanging Rock State Park a few years ago. The damage to the park, the wonderland of my childhood memories, touched my heart and I volunteered to help with the cleanup. Afterwards, I wanted to do more, to give something back for all that nature had provided me through the years. This led me to joining the Foothills Group of the Sierra Club, and to serve as a member of the Hanging Rock State Park Advisory Committee. I have attended hearings, talked with elected officials, written letters concerning environmental issues, and joined trail maintenance crews. What a joyous experience it has been!

Something more than scientific thought, civic duty, and childhood memories calls me to do whatever I can to preserve nature. I have looked at the way I live and at the natural resources that I consume. Through reflection on several scripture passages, I have begun to understand how God the Father and Creator wants me to respond to His gift of creation. In Colossians 1:16 Paul writes that “by Him were all things created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.” In Genesis 2:15, God took Adam and “put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Although another verse in Genesis refers to “subduing the earth,” I believe I will be held accountable for my use of this gift of creation. 1 Corinthians 4:2 tells me “it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.” I need to witness to the world that I honor the Creator by the care I take of the creation.

A balance is needed between the development of natural resources and their conservation. The earth is mine for the moment, an inherited gift that will pass on to my children and to their children. I must work to set aside areas for wilderness, parks, and open green spaces, for these are just as important as areas for cultivation, homes, and businesses. We are sustained by wilderness as much as by the harvest from cultivated fields. I must consider carefully the current “use once and throw away” philosophy; my convenience can lead to a garbage dump in someone else’s neighborhood. Whatever the rain washes from my lawn — fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides — will eventually go to the local river. The storm water drain leads to someone’s kitchen tap downstream. Whatever is put into the air — the exhaust from my automobile, or emissions from the power plant that provides the electricity I use — will be breathed by someone else or washed into the water table by the rain.

In Leviticus 25:1-7, God commands a Sabbath, a year of rest, for the land saying, “whatever the land yields during the Sabbath will be food for you (and your family, employees, and those from foreign lands) and the wild animals in your land.” God shows concern for both the land and all creation that lives on it; my concern for the environment is a concern for human needs and a concern for a sustainable economy as well. Although I must do my part to alleviate air pollution, water pollution, and global warming in the prosperous nation where I live. I also must be considerate of all who do not yet have adequate food, shelter, and basic comforts.

Environmental stewardship, that is, the care of creation, should be a part of the Christian education of all congregations. Environmental stewardship is essentially “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you” and giving thanks to the Creator for the gift of creation. The decisions required for me to be a responsible steward of creation are not always easy, nor are solutions clear or without sacrifice. The Light of the World, who sustains me through all else, will also sustain and guide me in my stewardship.

I thank the Father, the Creator, for the earth, from which He brought all creatures. I thank the Father for the sun, which warms the earth, gives life to its plants, forms the water into clouds, and stirs the wind. I thank the Father for the wind and the clouds that bring rain to fill streams, lakes, and rivers from which all the creatures quench their thirst. I thank the Father for His creation. He saw that it was good, and placed us in it to use it and care for it. Amen