Humankind is faced with numerous environmental issues such as global warming, overpopulation, deforestation, pollution, natural disasters and many other environmental issues. To tackle such environmental problems, people from all over the world are coming up with different measures. For instance, the Chipko Movement was launched in 1973 with the objective to protect the trees in the Himalayan slopes, while the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014 campaign is for a clean and green India. So, in a world where we are bombarded with strong environmentalism and save the earth and green ideas, what should be the proper response of a Christian to all these factors? Do we need to take care of the environment?
In Genesis Chapter 1 and 2, we read God created the universe. He created the heavens and the earth, the mountains, the oceans, the land, animals, birds, insects and so on. God saw that His work was good and was very pleased with it. God loves His creation and he takes care of it, molds it into what he wants, and he sends rain for plants and for animals and for people. When “no plant had yet sprouted and no shrub had yet appeared on the world, for God had not sent rain on the earth and there had been no work done on the ground,” (Genesis 2:5), He created man in His likeness, “from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living creature” (Genesis 2:7) and gave him the authority to rule over His creation.
The wonderful creation of God can be clearly seen in Genesis chapter 2, where the description of the Garden of Eden is given. Here, God created trees that were pleasing to the eyes and good for food, and rivers in the garden which were separated into four headwaters that flowed through lands filled with gold. Then God placed His most precious creation, Adam and Eve in the garden and commanded them to “work it and take care of it.” This was how it began for mankind to take care of God’s creation.
God blessed the man and the woman and told them to “be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:28). Then God gave mankind every seed-bearing plant on the planet, every tree with fruit that contains seeds, and to all the beast and birds of the earth that has breath in it for food. In other words, the humans were given dominion over the earth, and so this verse is a command to domesticate the earth, to take care of it, and to steward the earth. However, this does not mean that we must abuse His creation for our pleasures. Every creation has value and a certain purpose and therefore must be treated with respect and dignity.
It is truly important to remember that we are the creation of God and created in His image. This is something unique that we possess as humans and must take full responsibility to steward God’s creation. So, in order to cherish God’s creation, we must take care of our body as 1 Corinthians 3: 16-17 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? Because God's temple is sacrosanct and you all together make up that temple, if anyone ruins God's temple, God will destroy that person.”
God proves his love for His creation as He instructed Noah to gather the male and female creatures of every kind, so that they will reproduce and will not perish in the flood. He then made a promise that He will never destroy the world with such calamity. Also, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” (John 3:16), God sacrificed His Son so that people could be spared from eternal doom. And similar to that, there are other several instances in the Bible where God shows His love and mercy for His creation.
God made a promise that He is going to come and heal not only mankind but also His creation. He is going to make His creation new and restore His creation - the heavens and the earth with a new earth and heavens. God has a wonderful plan for the physical creation that He started so long ago. He has a future plan for this earth just like He has a future plan for you and me. It is so great that it makes us rethink the way we treat the earth. The Bible states that as Christians, we are supposed to live today like we will in the future.
Creation is meant to bring glory to God and if we are destroying the dignity of God's creation, we are robbing God of His glory. Therefore, as Christians we must take responsibility for our actions of the natural world not only for the sake of the environment, but also for others and live the lives as God intended.
Degree of Thought is a weekly community column initiated by Tetso College in partnership with The Morung Express. Degree of Thought will delve into the social, cultural, political and educational issues around us. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the institution. Tetso College is a NAAC Accredited UGC recognised Commerce and Arts College. The editors are Dr Hewasa Lorin, Dr Aniruddha Babar, Khangpuiliu Pamei, Rinsit Sareo, Meren and Kvulo Lorin. For feedback or comments please email: dot@tetsocollege.org.
