Today, 22 April 2020, is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. This is a spot on our calendar where there is a global call to pay attention to the planet upon which we live. For some, it is little more than a selfish desire to make sure we have a safe place to live - today and into the future. For others, it may have no particular faith-related connotations, but is a kind of respect for creation that Paul seems to suggest as appropriate in Romans 1.
But for others - and I would include myself and lots of other believers - it is an opportunity to model the kind of behavior that the Creation accounts in Genesis 1 and 2 suggest appropriate for humans. Lots of English verbs get used in translating the Hebrew words into our language, but when all is said and done, it seems fair to say that God's intentional purpose at creation was that we humans - His image bearers to creation - were to care for, manage, use appropriately, be stewards of, and - well, just "take care of creation." The place where He was comfortable coming down in the cool of the evening for conversations with His image bearers.
A number of years ago I was a member of the Rotary Club in my town. One of our quarterly projects was to pick up litter on a two-mile stretch of the what might be viewed as "Main Street" though it was named something else. We would meet early on Saturdays, get brightly colored orange vests from the local police, and divide into teams and pick up litter. As a side note, one very properly Christian member of our club would never participate because, in his words, "Someone might think I was being punished for DUI because of those vests!"
One member of our club, I'll just call him Sam for the sake of privacy, always wanted to be my partner. Sam was one of those people who desperately wanted to have a good relationship with God, but never seemed to be able to pull it off. He had a PhD in forensic toxicology. He called me "Preacher," and I knew once a quarter, early on Saturday morning, wearing a vest that at least to one member made me look like a DUI guilty person, I would have a couple of hours of great theological conversations based on Sam's questions.
One morning, after picking up beer bottles galore, no-good lottery tickets, convenience story hot dog wrappers, and about any kind of trash you can think of, Sam said, "Preacher, I know who throws this stuff out."
I quickly replied, "Tell me who, and let's go talk to them. We could avoid these Saturday morning litter details."
He said, "No, I'm serious, I think I know."
I said, "Tell me."
He said, "It's those so-called Christians who go to the school board and complain about high school biology and evolution, but don't give a damn about taking care of what they say God made."
That was, for me, a stunning moment. I could put some names on the very people he was describing. It was a convicting moment. How could the very people who claim God created the heavens and the earth care so little about taking care of it?
Obviously not all believers fit that description. But if any believer fits that description, we who deeply believe God is creator should do our best to convince that person that if that is true, then together we image bearers of God in creation need to work to be good stewards.
We're obviously at a strange moment on this particular Earth Day. In some places, other than staying in place, about the only thing you can do is to go outside and marvel at creation.
So . . . on this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, why not go outside, take a slow, observant walk, and just marvel at the incredibly amazing way God made the Earth/Creation to function.
Remember, "the heavens declare the glory of God." Don't let my friend Sam's evaluation of why we litter to be true of you!
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