The Intersection of Christianity and the Environment. (Part 1)
Have you ever considered the role of Christianity in environmental activism? It is something that not nearly enough people turn their attention to or aspire to make part of their life. After getting deeper in the faith, I have seen my purpose clearer than ever: to inspire Christians (and everyone!) to care about the creation that our Creator gave us. Christians have been called to God, and love one another, above everything else. This kind of commandment should emphasize the importance of living in healthy environments that we take care of, if not for ourselves then for others.
Augustine of Hippo, a theologian and philosopher in 354 CE, wrote that there were two ways to learn about God: through Scripture and through nature. Many times, I find myself admiring a sunset or breathing in crisp air and thinking about how much bigger the world is than just me. However, this begs the question, why aren’t Christians more outraged at the continued destruction of our land? Or, how can certain preachers consume more than they give, co-exist with the idea that Christians should care about this creation?
To understand mankind’s place in the world, it is important to understand the Biblical creation story. God created the world in six days. First, He created light. Then, He separated the sky and the sea. On the third day, He created the land. On the fourth, He made the night time and the day time. Next, He created all the animals. He saw that all of this was “good”. However, on the sixth day, He created mankind in His image. He saw that they were “very good”. This is the Christian creation story. Throughout the story or Genesis, we see God commanding Christian’s to care for His creation: " 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." (Genesis 1:26-28), or " And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." (Genesis 2:15). Additionally, the Bible emphasizes that the land is not our own for keeping (or destruction), but rather the Lord’s: The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Psalms 24:1). The Bible emphasizes stewardship of the Earth, rather than ownership. It is not ours to take advantage of, but rather to conserve.
UCLA historian Lynn White Jr. wrote that this biblical creation story has taught people to undervalue non-humans while establishing human dominance over them: [W]e shall continue to have a worsening ecological crisis until we reject the Christian axiom that nature has no reason for existence save to serve man.” I agree wholeheartedly. I wish that our society had not written the narrative as mankind above the creatures God had made. An example of this mentality is “Drill, Baby, Drill”- a campaign slogan for the Republican party encouraging oil drilling. If people continue to think like this, and if humans must be above and exalted over His creation, we should have the responsibility to create a sustainable future.
Maybe I just feel deeply for the world, but this reminds me of a conversation I had with my grandmother a few years ago. We were on a road trip to her house in South Carolina when we saw a dead deer on the side of the highway. She told me, “It's such a shame about that deer.” while ignoring the dead bugs on all her windows. Dead bugs matter, too! All creatures, great and small, are important to the maintenance and health of the Earth. Or, another time, when there was a cockroach in our French classroom and I lept up to open the door to get it out. However, when our class was on break, a guy stomped on it (on purpose!!!!) to kill it. While it was outside. Not bothering anyone.
When scouring over websites on why Christians should care about the creation we have been entrusted with, this one stood out: “Pollution hurts the poor the most, and Christians are called to care for the poor and the less powerful (Mt. 25:37-40).” We have already seen the impacts of climate change in America, however it is an escapable problem for us because we can crank up the AC or travel somewhere else. In areas where their infrastructure is still developing, or the wealth is not as high, people are unable to avoid the devastating impacts of climate change.
For me, personally, my Presbyterian church has been dedicated to sustainability and green practices. They just rolled out new solar panels, which is an exciting step towards the right direction! Additionally, they strengthen their relationship with people outside of the Christian faith by creating opportunities for people to pick up veggies from “Eco-Organic Farm”, teaching people how to sew and create reusable bags, or going on a birding walk at Sandy Creek Park. I’m thankful to be part of a church that already offers such amazing, green programs that aren’t Christian specific, so that everyone can learn about environmentalism.
Fortunately, there are already Christian organizations that are focusing, and have been, on our climate crisis: Evangelical Environmental Network and Citizens for Public Justice, just to name a couple. Additionally, one of my favorite ways to encourage environmental activism or food for thought, is “The Week”- and they have an @ Faith section where you can encourage people across all faith divisions to expand their knowledge on our current climate.
Sources:
NIV Bible. YouVersion. https://www.bible.com/bible/111/MRK.6.NIV
Nadeem, Reem. “Sidebar: Involvement by Religious Groups in Debates over Climate Change.” Pew Research Center’s religion & Public Life Project, 17 November 2022, https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/11/17/sidebar-involvement-by-religious-groups-in-debates-over-climate-change/. Accessed 18 December 2023.
“What Can the Bible Teach Us about Fighting Climate Change?” Boston University, www.bu.edu/articles/2023/what-can-the-bible-teach-us-about-climate-change/. Accessed 18 December 2023.
Kang, Keira. “The 5 C’s of Christian Environmentalism | Citizens for Public Justice.” Citizens for Public Justice, 25 Sept. 2019, https://cpj.ca/5-cs-christian-environmentalism/. Accessed 18 December 2023.
“Evangelical Environmental Network : Who We Are : Beliefs.” Creationcare.org, https://creationcare.org/who-we-are/beliefs.html. Accessed 18 December 2023.
This was written as part of a course for school. This is the 3rd of 4. It is designated as part 1 because I would love to expand on the topics mentioned later, on this blog.
