Creation Care – A Call to Act
Scripture celebrates the goodness of creation, the fruitfulness of the earth, and the wonder and splendour of the universe. These poetic texts frequently assure us that we are creatures made in God’s image, blessed and tasked as caretakers of creation. We are fearfully and wonderfully made,with the good earth under our feet and the sun and moon and stars overhead. With Psalm 104 we celebrate the whole of creation in all its strangeness and beauty:
How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom You made them all;
the earth is full of Your creatures.
There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
There the ships go to and fro,
and Leviathan, which You formed to frolic there.
As 21st century people, we find ourselves consumers and citizens, enmeshed in global economies and systems. We wear clothing made on the other side of the globe, eat fruit and vegetables grown 2000 kilometers away, and drive vehicles made of steel and plastic from every corner of the globe. We enjoy the fruits of the earth in all their forms, and the abundant resources the planet has to offer. As God’s creatures who share this world and its resources, we are called to love and care for our planet, but the complex realities we face make this a difficult task.
As creatures of vanity and comfort, our ways of living are often out of step with fairness, stewardship, and care for creation. Our collected habits transform the landscapes around us, as another plastic cup joins the growing gyre of garbage in the ocean. As North Americans, it is too easy to forget the ways that our environmental excesses offload pain and suffering on the global poor. In many ways, it would be easier to live in absentminded ignorance, letting the cares of the world take care of themselves—but this is not our calling, and there are no quick and easy answers.
Creation care and environmental stewardship is a biblical theme, often distorted by controversy and disagreement. Moreover, our media cycle confronts us with an overwhelming tide of discouraging information. For generations, the church heavily leveraged Genesis 1:28, and a theology of dominion and exploitation, resulting in desecrated landscapes and devastated peoples. A theology of creation care pursues a better way of seeing ourselves as unique creatures, custodians and keepers of the planet.
The Justice and Mercy Network gathers and sorts a variety of resources to help us navigate these complicated global concerns—you can view these resources here by clicking on the Creation Care tab at the top. We aim to promote a hopeful and thoughtful Christian posture in a complex world. None of these resources are the final word on the matter, but we hope they lead to better questions and further conversation. Check back on this page as we update this it regularly. We welcome your interaction and feedback.