Christians and their environment

The Bible tells us that we are guardians and caretakers of the earth’s environment. As is said in Genesis 1:28: “let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Therefore, every Christian should aim to develop a close connection with the natural surroundings of the landscape, for it is our duty to maintain the natural life of this planet. 

We can see this connection throughout Christian history, in the Israelites who dwelt in the inhospitable desert and trusted God to provide for them. Even later, when they reached the promised land, they would maintain their tribal systems and remain on the land for much of their lives, maintaining homes in the cities for ceremonial purposes. 

In the books of Leviticus and Numbers, they were guided by their religious laws to dispose of waste responsibly, to deal effectively with disease in their livestock and feed them appropriately. An affinity with God’s works of nature has been an important part of Christianity since the earliest days of the bible. Leviticus 11:24 shows us how to deal with unclean and infected meats, displaying an awareness of pathology and the need to maintain a healthy environment for God’s people. 

When the time of the resurrection comes, we will all be able to take part in beatifying our world, without the hindrance of soulless moneylenders and corporations who would spoil it. The countless years of mismanagement will be undone in record time under the gaze of God.

In the meantime, it is the little things we can all do to keep the world from degrading further. Recycling waste, adapting your own power supply, even growing or rearing your own food could help to reduce our dependence on more harmful industrial methods, as well as freeing us from having to pay unscrupulous corporations to keep us well fed. 

We can see that it is our disobedience in the time of genesis that made our work as caretaker very hard indeed. No longer was the work fulfilling and enjoyable, there was much toil and hardship in cultivating the Earth. 

Today, we have some advantage over our ancestors, as modern technology, developed with our wit and intelligence, has lifted some of the burden from us. It is perfectly possible for many of us to spend some of our spare time clearing up rubbish, improving the soil and ensuring the healthy management of tree growth.

Those who live in cities can take days out doing this, benefitting from the enriching environment of the countryside. Especially in these times of high unemployment, one can find stability and some small purpose in glorifying and maintaining the works of God’s creation, and in doing so, improve one’s connection to God’s word.