Earth Day 2014: Love God By Loving His Creation....




Earth Day is often dismissed by certain Christian groups as a “ Secular Paganistic ” event.
The charge of “ Worshipping The Creation, Not The Creator ” is routinely leveled at those who celebrate the wonders of the natural world.
Of course, this critique is often grossly exaggerated as many pro-environment activists only seek to protect God’s gift to us all.

One of the best ways to honor and love God is to honor and love His creation.

In honor of Earth Day 2014, I will share some pertinent Bible verses to reflect upon today.

“ God saw everything that He had made, and indeed, it was very good.” (Gen. 1:31)

“ This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations.
I have set my [rain]bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth
.” (Gen. 9:12-13)

“ Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest, so that your ox and your donkey may have relief…” (Exodus 23:12)

“ Throughout the land you hold, you shall provide for the redemption of the land.” (Leviticus 25:24)

“ But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will teach you; ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this ?
In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being.” (Job 12:7-10)

“ The nations raged, but your wrath has come, and the time for judging the dead, for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints and all who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” (Rev. 11:18)

Of course, these verses, along with all others, must be understood within the context of the books in which they are found.
Still, these examples, along with the many others not listed here, demonstrate that God cares for all His creation; human, animal, and all life on earth.

Part of the brilliance of God’s creation is the balance of the natural world.
Bees are essential to the pollination of a vast array of crops eaten by humans.
Birds are crucial in preventing the overpopulation of insects, cats and snakes do the same for rats.
The carbon dioxide / oxygen exchange between plants and animals is a necessity for life on earth.
This is God’s genius at work.

Just as God gives us the power to choose between good and evil or to choose between accepting Jesus or not, He also gives us the power to upset the balance and natural healing power of His creation.
For those who argue that we do not have the power to destroy the world, I point to the many historical examples including the Dust Bowl created by man during the Great Depression, the horrific air pollution found in America during the early 20th century, the dramatic drop in certain birds populations due to the use of DDT – which was exposed and reversed for many species due to the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962), and the existence of nuclear weapons.

Fortunately, in many of these cases we have learned from our mistakes, yet in others, we have not.
Humanity’s arrogance remains a threat to God’s creation.
We must humble ourselves before God and pay homage to the brilliance of His work.
We must cease to see God’s creation as our “dominion” and instead, view God as our landlord and ourselves as merely tenants (Lev. 25:23).
After all, would you destroy something rented or borrowed from another owner ?






Love Ya, ~Barbara