Caring for God's Creation

God cares for His creation, and so should we. Here is the evidence:

1.  God is the Creator, and we are made in His image.

Our story begins with the Creator, who brings into existence a physical world that He views with delight (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). God then creates human beings in His own image, to reflect His character and priorities, and He places them as stewards of His creation (Genesis 1:26–28; Psalm 8:6–8). Ultimately, “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1 NIV), and we are to be responsible trustees of the ecosystem in which we live.

2.  God remains connected with and protective of His creation.

With an impending global catastrophe, as recorded in Genesis 6–9, God seeks to preserve the various species, instructing Noah to prepare a place for those species in the ark. Even as the Flood raged, “God showed concern for Noah. He also showed concern for all of the wild animals and livestock that were with Noah in the ark” (Genesis 8:1 NIV). Further, at the end of the Flood, God specifically included the animals in the covenant relationship He established with mankind (Genesis 9:9–11).

The Bible also makes it clear that God continues to not only protect but also to provide for the needs of all His creatures, not merely human beings. David, for example, stated that “All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time” (Psalm 104:27-28; also Psalm 36:6; Matthew 6:26).

It is evident that creation care is a priority for God. And if God protects, preserves and provides for the care of all creatures, should we, as His children, be any less caring?

3.  God instructs human beings to care for His creation.

At creation, Adam and Eve are commissioned to serve and preserve the planet and all that is in it (Genesis 2:15). Subsequently, God’s instruction to the Israelites included a call to assure kindness to animals: “If you see your fellow Israelite’s donkey or ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it” (Deuteronomy 22:4 NIV; also Deuteronomy 22:1 and 25:4). Similarly, Solomon reminds us in his writings that “the righteous care for the needs of their animals” (Proverbs 12:10 NIV).

A classic example of God’s regard for the animals can be found in reference to Balaam’s treatment of his donkey. When Balaam, in frustration, and then in rage, repeatedly beats his donkey, the angel’s first words to Balaam address his mistreatment of the animal, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times?” (Numbers 22:32 NIV).

God’s instruction also includes a time of rest for the land and for the animals. This is to take place every seven days on the Sabbath, where God specifically mentions and calls for rest for the animals (Exodus 20:10; 23:12). A sabbatical year was also instituted in which domestic animals were to rest and the land rejuvenated (Exodus 23:10–11; Leviticus 25:2–7).

Even in war, God reminds us that the environment is to be protected: “When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees” (Deuteronomy 20:19 NIV). In the New Testament, Jesus instructed His disciples to not be wasteful of resources. After miraculously feeding thousands, Jesus directed, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted” (John 6:12 NLT). These, and other instances, are convincing evidence that God expects us to care for the environment.

4.  God is distressed when His creation is desecrated and exploited.

God conveys His concern through the prophet Jeremiah: “I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land…. Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished…. The whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares” (Jeremiah 2:7; 12:4, 11 NIV).

The prophet Ezekiel also expresses God’s anguish: “Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! ... Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?” (Ezekiel 34:2, 18 NIV; also Isaiah 5:8–10; 24:4–6; Psalm 107:33–34).

In apocalyptic terms, the 24 elders who are seated around God’s throne cry out: “The time has come for judging … and for destroying those who destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:18 NIV). While the primary focus in this passage references the loss of human life, it can also encompass, by extension, all of God’s creation. The prophet Habakkuk, who likewise denounces those who shed human blood, asserts that “your destruction of animals will terrify you” (Habakkuk 2:17 NIV).

If God is an environmentalist, what are the implications for us? In particular, what should we do individually and corporately at Andrews University in the context of God's calls to care for and protect His creation?

1.  Become informed.

The Bible identifies the underlying cause of the environmental crisis: “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own” (Luke 12:15, NLT; also James 5:5). The prophet Hosea points to the result of this self-centered life: “That is why your land is in mourning, and everyone is wasting away. Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea are disappearing. Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame! My complaint … is with you” (Hosea 4:3, 4 NLT).

In essence, the ecological crises in our world―in which air and water are polluted, forests and wildlife plundered, species are driven to extinction, and natural resources exploited―are rooted in our self-centered approach to life and our refusal to practice responsible stewardship in our lives and this world.

Scripture also points to the solution to this challenge: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31 NIV). We can love our global neighbors by leaving them a decent place in which to live.

The goal, then, is to raise our spiritual consciousness and to deepen our commitment to serve as custodians and guardians of our planet. This takes place when each one of us recognizes God as Designer, Creator and Sustainer of the natural world, and when we apply biblical principles of Christian integrity and ethical behavior to all aspects of our lives, including the environment.

2.  Be an example of environmental stewardship.

What can we do? Reduce. Reuse. Restore.

For example, turn off the water while you brush your teeth, shave or soap up. Don’t waste food. Help clean up a street, park or stream where you live, and elsewhere in the world when we have a chance. Participate in (or even initiate!) a program to recycle glass, paper and plastic. Plant a tree, maybe several of them. Carry your own reusable bag to the grocery store. Buy local. Walk, ride a bicycle and use public transport whenever you can.

One of the most important contributions we can make to the ecosystem is to eat a plant-based diet. This choice is not just about cruelty to animals. A plant-based diet also results in a significant reduction of greenhouse gases and helps substanitally conserve water resources when contrasted with the impact of a diet with animal products.

3.  Educate others in environmental literacy.

Convey environmental concerns and priorities to those around you in engaging ways, perhaps through art, drama or technology. If you can do so, conduct some environmental research.

In essence, I believe we are to become change agents, to be the best kind of World Changers: To be committed to stop the selfish exploitation of Earth’s resources and the reckless degradation of the environment. To do our part to rein in unbridled consumption and irresponsible consumerism wherever we live and work. To do our best to help halt the depletion of nonrenewable resources and the pollution that threaten the Earth’s ecosystems. 

In sum, we must each manage Earth’s resources faithfully.

Here at Andrews University, I invite our University family to create a culture of creation care. I invite us to make a commitment to reduce our waste and to initiate and deepen existing recycling programs on campus. I also invite each one of us to commit ourselves as a university to use more renewable fuels and more biodegradable materials and to, in turn, implement measures that will enhance the biodiversity of our campus.

To that end, I am establishing a Creation Care Council, which will report to the president and be tasked with identifying ways in which our University can best fulfill its mission to care for God’s creation. This Council will generate ideas that we will seek to implement, such as ways to switch to renewable resources, identify ways to make our campus more energy efficient, discover ways to reduce our waste and promote conservation, and prescribe ways in which we can best promote environmental care and help solve real world problems.

God envisions a future that is focused on environmental care for His creation. 

“If my people, who are called by my name, will turn from their wicked ways, then I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). In result, “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom ... The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow” (Isaiah 35:1, 2, 7).

In this thriving ecosystem, God will once again establish a covenant of environmental stewardship. “In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety” (Hosea 2:18; also Isaiah 11:9).

What then is needed from each one of us and from Andrews University?

“It is required in stewards that one be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). We will measure our commitment to stewardship by healthy ecosystems, sustainable development and responsible consumption.

Faithful stewards. That’s each one of us.

Let’s act!

John Wesley Taylor V
President, Andrews University