Editor’s Note: Here are some excerpts from an interesting unsigned editorial in the Free-Lance Star from Federicksburg.com, especially in light of our recent response to E.O. Wilson and Letter to the Church.

Should caring for the environment be a major priority for people of faith? Only a few years ago, I would have blithely answered this question “No.” Care for the natural world was not a priority of our governmental affairs work. Nor was it a priority in my personal and family life.

What changed? I changed.

I realized I was violating the biblical commands “to serve and to protect” creation (Genesis 2:15). The Hebrew words to serve, avad, and to protect, shamar, mean we must be care-takers, not just takers.

I had to turn about and go in another direction. That’s what the biblical word for repentance means.

***
Dr. E.O. Wilson, author of the recent book “Creation,” says: “If current deterioration of the environment by human activity continues unabated, half of Earth’s surviving species, plants, and animals will be extinguished or critically endangered by the end of the century. One quarter, it’s been estimated, could leave us in the next 50 years due to climate change alone.”

What got my attention, and keeps it, is the impact of climate change, habitat destruction, and species extinction on Earth. Sir John Houghton, the first chair of the Scientific Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change–and an evangelical Christian - made a presentation on the impacts of global warming to the Oxford Conference of 2002.

Among those sitting in the audience was a skeptic; that person was me. It took the unequivocal evidence of climate change - significantly caused by humans and irreversible in its nature–to shake me out of my own lethargy.
***
We do not own this Earth. Indeed, the phrase “the earth is the Lord’s” (Psalm 24:1) was first used by Moses as part of a dire warning to the arrogant, oppressive, and possessive Pharaoh of Egypt (Exodus 9:29).

The Pharaoh learned the hard way that the Lord did not turn the ownership of Earth over to people. It is a sin to ignore this eternal principle - with consequences to people of faith who deny it.
***
Time is running out. The natural world is imperiled by human activity, especially by our unsustainable burning of fossil fuels and our degradation of living systems.
***
Human health and life are particularly endangered, with the poor and disadvantaged among us at the greatest risk. James Hanson, a top scientist at NASA, states, “One quarter of carbon dioxide that we put in the air by burning fossil fuel will stay there forever–more than 500 years. If we burn all fossil fuels without capturing and sequestering the CO2, we will create a different planet.”

To address these threats, the National Association of Evangelicals and the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School convened 30 leading scientists and theologians to begin a dialogue abut how we could work together.

At our meeting in Georgia in December, we discovered that we agreed far more than we disagreed, that we shared a deep reverence for life on Earth, and that we felt a sense of urgency about what human beings were doing to creation.

We pledged to do everything in our power to preserve this precious gift the Creator has given us, and to invite our colleagues, including some who may not fully agree with us, to join us in these efforts.

Can we can hear the voice of the biblical prophet Ezekial: “Is it not enough for you to drink the water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?” One of my mentors, Cal DeWitt, echoes this in our day: Is it not enough for you to enjoy a pleasant climate? Must you destroy it? Is it not enough for you to enjoy the myriad of creatures? Must you extinguish them?

In his book “Serving God, Save the Planet,” J. Matthew Sleeth writes, “We have a problem, one as meaningful and real as if a sinking ship with billions of passengers aboard. The Earth is our ship, an ark for everything that lives. It is the only vessel available to carry humans through the ocean of space, and it is rapidly becoming unseaworthy.”

As people of faith, we have no option but to act. My challenge is to the churches… Why not take the lead in making (your) city an example of biblical stewardship?

Not everyone will come to the same public-policy solutions, but the following simple actions can make a huge difference:

Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. Though initially more expensive, an energy-efficient fluorescent bulb will save you $28 to $58 in your electric bill during its life, and burn 500 pounds less coal to pollute the air.

Recycle…

Drive the speed limit with properly inflated tires and a tuned engine.

Consider a hybrid car?

Ask for your energy company to do an energy audit of your house or church. You’ll make money and be giving to others at the same time.

Support businesses that are creation-friendly (if you can find them).

Vote and voice your concern to local and national government officials.

Pray that our fellow citizens, congregations, and lawmakers will do what is wise to care for creation.

We owe it to our children and grandchildren that they may enjoy what we have too long taken for granted. Protecting the environment must be a priority; it’s called biblical stewardship.

This doesn’t get anyone into the “political thicket.” This is neither a “red” (Republican Party), “blue” (Democratic Party) or even a “green” (Green Party) issue; it’s a moral issue. Jesus’ first commandment - to love God with all our heart and soul and strength–means that we honor and care for all of His creation.

After all, when we die, God won’t ask us how He made this Earth - but rather, what we did with what He made.

Original Story Link: Global Warming Christians: A new ally on the front lines?

Tags: Global Warming

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