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Caring for CreationApril 21, 2009Genesis 1:26-31 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-everything that has the breath of life in it-I give every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the sixth day. This week is more than the last week of class. On Wednesday April 22, Reinhardt will be participating in Earth Day along with others around the globe. Earth Day began in 1970 as a nation-wide grassroots movement to put the environment on the national agenda. It was a success; 20 million Americans participated. Today the numbers continue to grow. In 1990, 200 million people in 141 countries pushed for increased recycling efforts. In 2000, the largest Earth Day yet, 5,000 environmental groups across the globe mobilized millions of people in 187 countries to bring attention to global warming and the need for clean energy. Earth Day is a way for people to collectively advocate for better care and stewardship of our common living space, earth! Why should we care about the earth? People tend to pay little attention to environmental warnings so long as their garbage is being collected and they can still enjoy green lawns and go to a clean beach on vacation. Looking at the environment on a global scale seems like tree hugger talk to many. Worldwide environmental concerns can seem so big, that even those sensitive to the issue can be overwhelmed by its scale and complexity. In the Book of Genesis, God created humankind in God's image (1:26). Throughout history, people have tried to define what that means. Augustine believed this meant that God gave us a rational soul. Others imply that God gave all humans innate worth and therefore, that everyone should be treated with equal dignity. Many take a functional approach believing that to be made in God's image means that we are partners with God and were created to be God's representatives on earth. Genesis also tells us that we are to have dominion, which also means rule over the earth. So how are we to rule? Benevolently? Harshly? Does our rule give us the power to exploit the earth for our own needs or does it call us to be stewards of creation, someone who takes care of God's property? There is no doubt that God gave us a great responsibility for the earth. Many of us disagree on how to best take care of it, but to deny our involvement is denying God's command. How do you care for God's creation? What do you do to make this world a better place to be enjoyed by generations to come? Prayer: Creator God, you have instilled in me a great responsibility to care for your earth. Forgive me when I selfishly take from it and forget that it is yours. I commit to do my part to keep it a place You would call "good." Amen. * This is the last Virtual Chapel of the 2008-2009 Academic Year. Virtual Chapels will resume the first week of class in August. I hope that these weekly devotionals have been helpful to you as a student, faculty, or staff member at Reinhardt College. Have a great summer everyone! For more informationRev. Leigh Martin |
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