The natural beauty of this world should never be taken for granted. We should take care of the planet that we live on. It doesn’t seem to make sense that anyone would disagree with the idea of taking care of the Earth; however, listening to the discourse that goes on between the “sides,” the polarized viewpoints in our day, you find one group seeing itself as the protector of the Earth and the other side feeling the need to react against the “other,” downplaying any interest in good earth citizenship.  However, there is a Biblical mandate to steward this garden that we call our home, the planet Earth, so really, there isn’t any need for the excessive polarization and reactivity. Aren’t there things that we can agree about as important for everyone on the planet?

Much of the genuine disagreement between the polarized sides lies in the definition of “taking care of the Earth” or as the Bible calls it, “being a steward.” If you follow the “group-think” of our day too much, you will probably see yourself as  personally responsible to carry out all and everything that is a part of your definition of “loving” the planet. Such things would probably include decreasing your carbon footprint and worrying about whether the problems with the water supply in Flint, Michigan might be more widespread than anyone knows.  Yet, those concerns are not even a small part of what people find to worry about. Some people go to the extreme from the fear and the pressures of habitual ecological worrying, and feeling so much pressure to fight all the problems of the world that they see bring us to the brink of destruction, they become afraid of everything and end up paralyzed, giving up and cocooning, or worse.

However, those that honor the Bible, would do well to remember that it is written, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.”  Acts 7:49 (Also found in Isaiah 66:1). The English word, “Earth” is a translation in this verse from the original Greek of the New Testament,*  which follows:

‘Earth’: Ge Pronounced /ghay/ Noun, Feminine Definition
1) arable land; 2) the ground, the earth as a standing place; 2) the main land as opposed to the sea or water; 4) the earth as a whole–(a.) the earth as opposed to the heavens; (b.) the inhabited earth, the abode of men and animals; and 5) a country, land enclosed within fixed boundaries, a tract of land, territory, region.”

Taking care of this beautiful earth to keep it healthy and beautiful is implied in that Biblical statement, since God made the earth as His footstool, or the place on which He places His reign (or throne) and conducts His authority. Believers in the Bible are quick to point out that God has a throne over the Earth, but not all are as quick to understand that for those who honor God and the Bible, showing honor and care for that place in which He has displayed His handiwork, the Earth, is an important task.  Whether or not everyone agrees about the methods or on what it means in whole or in part to “take care of the earth,” God requires attention to this stewardship.

Speaking to those who want to honor God and the Bible: stewardship for the earth is God’s job for mankind, right from the first day. Don’t minimize the importance of this, just because you disagree with the means or methods of some.  Overreacting to the ideas you disagree with, simply to disagree, is not honoring the biblical ideas that one says one professes. Often, the overstatement is just as unbiblical as the thing that you are reacting against. If you are the one that says that you believe in the Bible, why do you expect those that don’t believe it to follow the biblical commands more closely than you do?

For those that don’t believe in biblical commands, do you take it as an unchanging fact that everyone should take better care of the earth–even when you say you don’t believe in any god that would be a source to impose absolute rules? The existence of a source outside mankind to impose an absolute rule that requires us take care of the earth is at least a common ground with those of the biblical viewpoint.

There is, then, at the least, some common ground for agreement in the idea that taking care of the earth is a good and required effort. Maybe we should focus on that common ground more often instead of disagreeing to the extremes.

The Tick (animated series, 1994) created by Ben Edlund (01:30)

Bibliography Information:
* Thayer and Smith. “Greek Lexicon entry for Ge”. “The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon”. 1999. http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/genesis-5.html