Creation Stewardship
August 26, 2008
God placed man in the garden to tend and keep it. A familiar paraphrase of the Genesis 2:15 mandate. So what do we do with the mandate, just how do we fulfill this commandment? This is no simple task, but fortunately God has given us some essential resources. I only hope to shed some brief light on the matter.
The creation is a bountiful resource from which we can understand God and our proper place within the world. Creation testifies to the glories and wonders of God. It teaches us of a God who is magistic, ordered, and full of wonder. To tend this magnificant world is many ways to tend some of the richest resources that God has ever made. To be an awe of all that God makes is an important starting point.
Jesus offer us the essential guidepost for our work in tending creation. Jesus teaches us that whatever we do ‘to the least of these’ we do to him. Thus, environmental problems that impact people must be high on our priority list. Since we live off of our environment, many environmental problems have a direct impact on people. The health of local environments often have a direct link to the health of local peoples. Thus, creation care is often people care in the sense of loving your neighbor.
Jesus also teaches us that he gives us things to steward while he is away. These things include our talents, possessions, and yes even our material world. When he returns he will ask each of us what we did with what we were given. In this light our stewardship of the natural world should take on a hightened sense of urgency. At present our environmental stewardship is sorely lacking.
Jesus teaches us to make disciples of all nations teaching them everything that has been commanded. Part of that teaching must include a proper understanding of our stewardship of the world. Our discipleship remains uncompete without a strong stewardship ethic.
We also know that Jesus is Lord of all creation. Yet we often forget his authority over the environment. We forget that our sovereign King has authority over all plant and animal life. We forget that in his role as Lord nothing remains outside of his scope. This should teach us to be mindful of our own role within his kingdom.
Alexei Laushkin, a graduate from Claremont McKenna College, works for the Evangelical Environmental Network. He and his wife live in Alexandria, VA.
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