The Godliness of Green

I am amazed by the number of Christians who are not only environmentally unconscious but also downright unkind to people who are concerned about the environment. They use phrases like "tree-hugger" and "eco-freak" with venom as though people who care about the world we live in are vile. This bothers me. Not only is it un-Christlike to treat others this way, it is un-Biblical to take for granted the world in which we live.

Of all people, Christians should be the most environmentally friendly. I am not necessarily suggesting you join Greenpeace or immediately take up "tree-sitting" in a sequoia tomorrow, but I am suggesting a much higher level of involvement than you currently exercise.

As Christians, we believe that God created the world. In Genesis chapter one we read, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good."

From this we see that God loved everything He created and thought it good. Why would we despise anyone who is trying to protect what God has made?

Second we see that God's first command to man in the Bible was to multiply in order to replenish the earth, to subdue it, and have dominion over it. There is no question God wanted us to rule over the earth. However, to reign over creation does not imply that we are given license to pillage and plunder it at will. To properly reign over any dominion requires wisdom, patience, mercy, and good policy. To sustain that dominion and increase its prosperity and longevity should be the goal of the ruler.

So too should we pursue policies of patience and wisdom to properly manage the resources of this earth. That is not to say we should not use them. It is to say rather that we should use them wisely.

This also introduces the idea of good stewardship. In the New Testament Jesus strongly emphasized the servants who invested the goods given them by their Master to return a profit. Jesus and His apostles all encouraged the idea of being faithful with the gifts and responsibilities which had been individually given to every man, whether great or small.

Thus we are not only given the command to reign over creation, but we are taught to be wise with what we have been entrusted and make it better if at all possible. These two principles are why we should recycle plastic, glass, metal, and paper. This is why we should plant trees to replace those we cut and preserve those which face extinction. This is why we should pursue renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gases. This is why we should reduce the overall "carbon footprint" we create and why we should reduce our energy consumption. This is why we should be concerned about melting polar ice caps, the rapidly diminishing rain forests, and the increasing dead zones in the oceans of our world.

Often we justify our wanton abuse of the environment and its resources with religious or philosophical rationale when truly we abuse them as a matter of course in pursuit of our own greed. We have an insatiable desire for bigger houses, better cars, more plastic products, and the list goes on. We sacrifice the precious things created for us by God on the altar of our greed and excess.

You might say, "It's too expensive to go green. I need to be a good steward of the money God gave me." I agree that some times "going green" is a little more expensive. I also agree that you should be a good steward of what God gives you financially. But this statement itself is an excuse. You cannot stop being a good steward of one resource in order to be a good steward of another. Second, everything is a matter of balance. You don't just rush out and spend thousands of dollars upgrading every part of your lifestyle to be eco-friendly.

You start small and gradually achieve a lifestyle change. Start by recycling. Buy recycled plastic and paper items which often cost only a few cents more. Repair items you have instead of trashing them and buying new. Put energy efficient light bulbs in your home. Turn off appliances and electricity-eating gizmos when they are not in use. Pay attention to the news and support good economic policies by contacting your legislators. learn about new technologies. Discuss the environment with friends and family, co-workers, and the people of your church. Stay informed. There are bad economic policies just as there are good ones. Walk or ride a bike more often. Car-pool or use public transportation if its feasibly available. Etc. Etc.

By doing these things, you will be obeying the second command of creation. You will find a blessing by doing it. So, I challenge us all: Go Green!