Why should we care about the environment? David Westlake examines the importance of how we live in the world, and why it matters for people who love the creator, and his creation.
We are surrounded by concern about climate change, planetary boundaries, the impact of pollution and the use of scarce resources. We are told to reduce, reuse and recycle. Governments gather in meetings like the recent Rio summit to negotiate climate change treaties and coordinate approaches. We can now buy green everything!
It is also an area of controversy. Some Christians embrace environmentalism with a passion that ends up looking as if we are just Greenpeace plus a Bible verse. Other Christians ignore or even deny the problem as being a distraction from God’s priorities. After all, if the present heaven and earth are to be destroyed as described in 2 Peter 3, what is the point of working to preserve them? Rather than being concerned about this world we should be concerned about the world to come and in particular about the eternal destiny of people’s souls. If we are really facing environmental catastrophe then the Christian response is to put our energy into helping people come to saving faith in Jesus.
And so these two perspectives fight it out within our churches. One side appeals to a particular view of the future and the other to science, each demonising the other. So lots of Christians carry on as always, doing ‘their bit’ for the environment, but not sure how it relates to their faith.
I believe that authentic and vibrant Christianity neither hides from real issues nor follows every fashion but understands the present situation in the light of eternity. This saves us from evangelistic work that neglects the context of people’s lives and humanitarian work that neglects the context of eternity. I also believe that authentic and vibrant Christianity grows when four perspectives come together:
• Context: what is happening. • Theology: what does the Bible say. • Discipleship: in the light of the context and the Bible, how do I live to glorify Jesus? • Missional: how can we serve the world with the gospel?
My overriding concern is authentic discipleship and so I am unashamedly going to concentrate on the theology and response. This is not an article on the science of creation care but on how to follow Jesus.
So let’s deal with the context quickly. With regard to the science, the fact that our climate is changing is not questioned by anyone. Some people debate why the climate is changing, but it is worth noting that 97.5 percent of published scientists attribute climate change to human activity. What is certain is that we are entering a climate phase that has not been experienced by the earth for maybe a million years. No one knows whether and how this new climate is conducive to human existence. Everyone knows that it is the poorest and most vulnerable communities that will pay the highest price for a changing climate. Something is happening that merits our response.
If we are going to make theological sense of what is going on we are going to take a very fast look at five words that describe a biblical understanding of creation: good; sacred; belonging; glorifying and redeemed.
Good
Genesis 1 and 2 teach us that the creation God made was good. Psalm 19 tells us that creation reflects God’s character and love. This is important: God looked at his creation and pronounced it good. He did this even before there were any humans to play in it, develop it or use it. Creation is valuable because God values it. Creation is not just the playground, plaything or toolbox for humanity. God looked at it and said, ‘Wow’!
Sacred
Creation isn’t divine. It is not something to be worshipped, but it is sacred. It is sacred because of its relatedness to God. He sustains and commands creation which reveals his glory and serves his purposes - including providing for his creatures. And as his creatures, we value what he values. Just as any thoughtful gift conveys something of the giver and so demands respect, the gift of creation demands respect because we respect the giver.
Belonging
‘The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it’ (Psalm 24:1) is a repeated phrase in the Old Testament. Jesus takes up ownership throughout the New Testament (Matthew 28:18, Colossians 1:15 for example). The whole creation belongs to Jesus because he created it, redeemed it and will receive it as his future inheritance. We are stewards, not owners and we will be held to account.
Glorifying
The Westminster catechism famously proclaims that: ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever’. Psalm 148 shows that this is also the chief end of creation. Humanity is part of a whole creation of earth and animals and plants and sky and stars that exist to glorify and worship God. We live our lives in the context of the most magnificent worship meeting imaginable. We should tread carefully and worship in harmony not discord.
Redeemed
The first four words look back to where creation has come from. This one looks forward to where creation is going. Isaiah 65:17-25 is one of the most powerful descriptions of a redeemed creation. It talks of a creation that we can recognise as this creation being redeemed and continuing into the new age. It is similar to when the disciples met the resurrected Jesus who is the firstborn of the new creation. His resurrection body had elements that were continuous with his ‘old creation’ body and elements that were radically different. He was the same but amazingly different. The same future awaits believers and all creation. But before we rush on I want to take a look at the passage in 2 Peter 3: 10-14 that is sometimes used to argue that this creation will be destroyed and God will start over. If that is true then creation is not redeemed as I have described and caring for it would only have minimal value.
2 Peter 3 introduces the idea of final judgement by talking about Noah and the flood. In the flood wickedness was wiped out, but the creation was preserved and renewed. In fact God (and Noah) went to great lengths to preserve creation along with all its bio-diversity, through the judgement. The passage goes on to warn against complacency because there will be another day of judgement which is described in verse ten as a day when, ‘the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare’. The idea is that wickedness will not be able to hide, just like in the time of Noah. It will be a day of terrible reckoning, just like in the time of Noah. What is in mind is not the obliteration of all that exists but purging before establishing the new creation, just like in the time of Noah. Maybe Psalm 98 looks forward to this purging and redemption? And the point of this teaching from Peter? That we should live holy and godly lives (2 Peter 3: 11, 14). And we know that loving God and loving others is what makes a holy and godly life. Which brings us to discipleship.
Being disciples in the middle of God’s creation
So how do we work out our discipleship in the context of a changing climate that will impact the weakest and a proper understanding of the value of all that God has made? There are two truths about humanity and creation that define our discipleship in this area:
• We are part of creation • We are set apart from creation
Humans as part of creation
Creation is our home. We are part of creation, dependent on it for everything from our breath and water and food to all the things that we rely on. It is not just nice that we treat our home well; it is life and death.
We are saved with creation. Let’s go back to Noah. This is not just a Sunday school tale about pairs of animals, counting in twos, and a bright colourful rainbow. It’s about God’s judgement on sin, and God’s saving commitment not just to people but to the whole creation. There are eight humans who ‘get saved’, but also all the other creatures, and not because they’re useful to us, but simply ‘to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth’ (Genesis 7:3). Then, after the flood has finished, God sends the rainbow as a sign of his covenant – his saving promise – not just to Noah and his descendants, but to ‘every living creature upon the earth’. God’s saving plans are not limited to us. They include other creatures and even - in Genesis 9:13 – the earth itself.
We are part of the liberation of creation. In Romans 8 we are told that creation is waiting ‘to be liberated from its bondage to decay’, and in verse 19 that ‘creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed’. Creation is waiting for the Church! The environment needs God’s people to recover their calling to seek God’s kingdom on earth, as it is already in heaven. The original command was for humanity to tend creation. Creation is waiting for us to fulfil our destiny.
Humanity as set apart from creation: we are in the image of God.
While God created humans from the earth he also set us apart from it by creating us spiritually to be in his likeness. We have an intimate and unique relationship with God. As well as marking us as his representatives within the time and space of creation we were given a special role and responsibility within the community of creation. In the first chapter of the Bible this is described in terms of being the ‘image of God’. We are called to reflect God’s character and values - to reflect his image - towards the rest of creation.
We are called to have dominion. This is not about dominating, abusing and exploiting God’s earth and its creatures. Humans are made in God’s image - an image that is about character, not appearance. This tells us something about the way in which we should rule the earth. Psalm 145 describes our God and king as wise, powerful, compassionate, providing, protecting and a source of justice. He is creative, generous, and productive, and above all, he is love. Dominion is about being ‘servant kings’ – leading from within the community of creation and for the benefit of the whole community of creation – rich and poor, animal and human. In Genesis 2:15 this is spelt out when God sends the first human being, Adam (whose name means ‘created from the earth’), to ‘tend and keep’ the garden of creation. Those words ‘tend and keep’ can be well translated as ‘serve and preserve’. That is our calling, to serve and preserve our fellow human beings – particularly the poorest, to serve and preserve all God’s creatures and creation and in doing so, honour our Lord.
So to be a disciple is to understand that we are a part of creation but uniquely set apart from creation. We cannot ignore creation - that would be like ignoring maintenance on our homes. Our destiny is tied up with creation and the destiny of creation is tied up with us. This destiny is realised as we understand our unique role as image bearers of the Almighty and the servant leadership of all creation that he has called us to exercise.
WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN RESPOND:
Make it personal
Often we have behaved more like despots than servant-hearted leaders. We have squandered and abused as much as we have developed and enhanced. Fundamentally we value creation because we love and worship the creator. If we have trampled over his works what does that say about our respect and love for him?
The other part of loving God is to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’. I have already noted that it is the poorest and most vulnerable communities that will pay the highest price for climate change. In the rich world we will build better flood defenses as the sea levels rise. In other parts of the world they will just flood. There is a strong link between poverty and climate change. It is the poor who pay the price for climate change. Having a world that is sustainable means having a world where there is justice for the poor, access to food, water and fuel and a climate that is stable. This has to matter to us as Christians and shape our mission. Almost one quarter of the Bible – about 2,000 verses - refers in some way to poverty or to social and economic justice. This is right at the heart of Christian faith.
We can do so much more together, particularly as the body of Christ, but also in our work places and where we live. It is important to work together, and there are a number of great ways to do that from Transition Towns to eco-congregations.
Pray for the world
Prayer is vital to us as Christians. You could pray for people around the world affected by climate change and sign up with organisations like Tearfund and A Rocha to help inform your prayers.
Campaign
To achieve the necessary reduction in carbon emissions and funding for climate adaptation we also need international and national action, you can help achieve this by lobbying our government on the decisions they are making on our behalf. Join in with organisations like Tearfund and A Rocha to campaign intelligently.
David Westlake is Tearfund’s integral mission director and directs Soul Action, a Tearfund–Soul Survivor partnership seeking to disciple young Christians who understand God’s heart for justice.
