Evangelicals and the Environment

Green Environment - Stephen Dun - flickr

My Christian Ethics class has been enjoyable and challenging time as it has forced me not only to think critically about today’s issues, but to reflect critically on how the Bible relates to today’s issues. The final subject the class focused on was the environment and if Christians should care for it as much as some secular environmentalists do. There is of course baggage that comes with the image of an environmentalist, the granola crunching, sandal wearing, dread-locked, bongo drummer holding a “Save the Rainforest” sign that was probably made out of a tree cut down in the rainforest. There is, however, merit in their compassion for the health of our planet. I have found two things that outwardly caring for our planet accomplishes for the believer in Christ.

Love Thy Neighbor

The first is that caring for the environment is an extension of "loving thy neighbor" (Matt 22:39). When believers question the status quo at the political level we are doing so out of this commandment too. That is why we (Christians) should actively seek that corporations are responsibly taking care of their industrial waste so that another Love Canal situation doesn't happen again. We should want to make sure that the proper regulations are in place to make sure another oil spill doesn't happen, or that chemicals aren't leaking into the drinking water caused by fracking. Doing this significantly limits mankind from suffering the effects of our interference with nature. We are taking care of our neighbor.

Worship the Lord Thy God

Secondly, caring for the environment is an act of worshiping God. Part of Genesis 1:31 states that “God saw everything that he had made, and it was very good,” and in chapter 2 of Genesis He places a responsibility on mankind to tend the earth “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till and keep it” (Gen 2:15). Just because we live in a fallen world now does not negate the fact that believers have a responsibility to keep being stewards of the environment. In taking care of the planet we are showing a “fear of God,” which means showing reverence and awe for our God, and being thankful for giving us this planet to live on, that is the same as worship. If we take this approach we won't be lifting up mother earth, but glorifying God, the Creator.

Laziness of Biblical Proportions 

Lastly, in the Book of Revelation it is revealed that the second coming of Christ will usher in “a new Heaven and a new Earth” (Rev 21:1). That is a belief I hold to be true, but it should not inspire a general contempt for our temporary home, or the way we take care of it. The people who use that verse to place care of the Earth low on their list of spiritual priorities are just using it as an excuse to be lazy. Consider for a moment using the "parable of the talents" in Matthew 25:14-30 where a master gives three of his servants different amounts of bags of gold. To one he gives 5, another 2 and another 1 each according to his ability. When the master returns to check in on the men the first two men are able to show they invested well in the gifts of the master, however, the third man chose to take his one bag of gold and bury it in the ground and therefore had no more to show for his time other than what he started with. When he learned this the master was angry and called the servant lazy for not using what he was given for greater things. Tying this to the environment (I realize the parable is meant for a different context) I, and others, tend to think that God might feel the same way about the earth He has given us.

     You could think of it this way: If someone gave you a gift, something that you really needed, but warned you that it’s not perfect or maybe it’s used and that sometime soon they would be getting you a brand new version of the same gift, does that fact give you license to mistreat the gift? Or just throw it in the corner of your closet and let it get dusty? When the same person comes back to give you the new gift and sees how you’ve treated the old one, how do you think they’ll react to how you’ve treated what they’ve given you? Do you think that they’ll see your treatment of the gift as a reflection of what you think about them?

  "So, God did not give us this land to just watch it wither away due to our own laziness, but has plans for us to keep it profitable unto Him and the rest of humankind."

 It's important to note that I'm not placing the environment over the importance of salvation. What I am suggesting here is that we can use care for the environment as another way to witness, we should let the blood of Christ bleed into every aspect our life on Earth. Also we can use it as a way to draw ourselves to the holiness of God. Maybe we could benefit from the words of Billy Graham on this subject, “God didn't tell him to exploit the world or treat it recklessly, but to watch over it and use it wisely. Like a good ruler, we should seek the welfare of everything God entrusts to us—including the creation.”

Crook, Roger H. "The Care of Creation." An Introduction to Christian Ethics. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013. N. pag. Print.

 Graham, Billy. "Does the Bible Say Anything about Taking Care of the Environment?" Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. BillyGraham.org, 12 May 2006. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

 The Holy Bible. NIV Vers. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. Print.

 Tschida, Anna N. Environmental Ethics. Kennesaw:  2 Mar. 2015. DOCX.