Go Green, Jesus is Doing it! - pt. 4

Theologians past and present share genuine reverence for nature. They understood creation to be a source of regeneration, a testament of God's majesty, and a gift from the loving creator. Because he loved God, Francis Schaeffer proposed Christian advocacy on behalf of the environment, and suggested the Jesus-way to those turning to New Age religion.

It seems fitting to end this series asking what the word of God says about creation. Does Jesus' teachings and the scriptures provide a foundation sturdy enough to build earnest reverence for nature? Does green rhetoric and advocacy of Christians today speak to the truth of the bible, or to a cultural trend?

Begining in the old testament, it is common (especially in Psalms) for creation to inspire worship of the Lord. In Psalm 104:24, 31-32 the Lord's majesty is revealed through his creation, and he even "touches the mountains and they smoke." The Lord is seen "riding through the desert" in Psalm 68:4 which causes the psalmist to exult him in nature. Likewise, in Psalm 19:1-4 "The heavens (as in stars) declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." Amos describes a similar feeling in 4:13, "For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth-- the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!" Creation inspires many of the biblical authors to worship God, which plants the seed in our hearts, reminding us to be respect nature.

Another theme of the Old Testament is the Lord's active roll in nature. In Psalm 18:10-12 The lord, rides on the wind, beneath a canopy of thick, dark clouds. It continues, "Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds." A longer, similar image occurs in Job 38, as the Lord hurls lightning bolts, opens up the storehouses of rain, and walks among the lions. C.S. Lewis was not far off when he said that the Lord "is not a tame lion." These verses reveal that God cares for creation, because he is an active force within it! If God only cared about the spiritual things, then why would He "provide food for the raven," "tip over the water jars of heaven," "lead out the bear with its cubs," "satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass," and "journey to the springs of the sea?" (Job 38)

Jesus Christ himself inspired reverence for nature with his metaphors for the kingdom of heaven. One day Christ said that the kingdom of heaven is like a growing seed, (Mark 4:26-29) and then a mustard seed (Mark 4:30-34). Fittingly, later that day Jesus calmed a wild storm and rebuked his disciples for having little faith (Mark 4:35-41). Christ's dominion over the storm echoes the poetry of Job 38. In the gospel of Matthew Jesus tells an organic parable to describe the kingdom of heaven: a farmer sows good seed, but overnight his enemies sow bad seed among the good. The farmer allows the bad seed to grow among the good seed, and separates the wheat from the weeds at harvest. Jesus uses another organic image after the disciples leave the last supper. This time, Christ compares himself to a vine, and the disciples to branches (John 15:1-10). If God disdained creation and desired men to bastardize it, then why would Jesus use nature to describe himself and his awesome kingdom? President Bush does not compare America to a pig sty, likewise Christ would not compare his kingdom to something unworthy and low.

The most powerful examples of God's care for nature comes from a series of verses (old testament and new testament) in which mankind sinfully defiles the Earth, resulting in the scourging of creation. (Check out Isa. 24, 35:12-20, Jer.12, Hos. 4, Joel 1:10-20, Nah. 3:16) In each of these verse a similar line occurs:

"The earth is defiled by its people;

they have disobeyed the laws,

violated the statutes

and broken the everlasting covenant." (Isa. 4:5)

Men and women defile the Earth and sin. This breaks a covenant with God, which leads to the destruction of nature:

"The earth dries up and withers,
the world languishes and withers,
the exalted of the earth languish." (Isa. 4:4)

"Therefore a curse consumes the earth;
its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth's inhabitants are burned up,
and very few are left." (Isa. 4:6)

In Jeremiah, the prophet mourns the scourging of the Earth caused by the defilement of man:

"How long will the land lie parched
and the grass in every field be withered?
Because those who live in it are wicked,
the animals and birds have perished.
Moreover, the people are saying,
"He will not see what happens to us." (Jer. 12:4)

The prophet's sentiments are all inline. Man sinned, and man defiled Earth. One of the first gifts God gave was dominion over the Earth (Gen. 1:28). John Eldredge suggests that after mankind fell into sin, so did man's dominion over the Earth. In sin man lost full dominion over the creation. Jesus, who was sinless, never lost dominion; this is why he could command the fish an nature (Matt 17:24-27, Mark 4:35-41, John 21:1-11). In man's sinful dominion he abuses and defiles nature, and wrongfully subdues the beautiful world God gave as a gift.

In Revelation John writes of judgement for the defilement of creation:

". . .The time has come for judging the dead,
. . . and for destroying those who destroy the earth." (Rev. 11:18, emphasis added).

God takes dominion seriously, and abuse of dominion is rebellion against God's will. These verses provide a beautiful foundation for advocacy and care of the environment.

Bradstreet, Schaeffer, Edwards, Assisi, and Augustine were right in their evaluations of creation. Today we can look to God's word as a mortar board for a radical worldview: we must practice, respectful, rightful, and sensible dominion over the Earth, protecting the creation and building it up, recognizing it as God's gift, and loving the giver above all things.