5 - Nature & Us

                                             God’s Creation

When we create a wonderful poem or a beautiful artistic painting we place a part of ourselves into our creation. The same is true with all of God’s creation for our Lord. God’s spirit is reflected within all of creation (see Wis. 11:24-12:1 & PS 50:10-11). The gentle breeze at dawn makes a statement about God’s love (as that breeze carries a lonely seed off to fertile ground). The tall mountains make a statement about God’s majesty and greatness. The sun makes a statement about God’s warmth. A peaceful flowing stream makes a statement about how God can provide through his wonders and mysteries within life. Each creature and living thing reflects God’s spirit just as we do. Together, all of life’s entities are siblings to one another. As Christians, we believe that creation is incomplete, that is why nature can also show a violent side (like humans can). If all of life and its creatures were completely controlled by God’s manipulations, the world would be like automatic robots and there would be no free will (no choice to freely love God as He loves us – or to freely see his wonders as He sees the amazing wonders within us). D. Crone

                                      God’s Dominion over Us

We are created in God’s image. God is a gentleman, He does not exploit our existence and He does not deliberately harm us or destroy us through a lack of concern for our well-being. He may wish that we would treat nature as well as He treats us. The Gospel tells us that God is love and He has a loving dominion over us because He shepherds us with a gentle stewardship (so we may serve Him willingly).

                      PRAYER OF STEWARDSHIP:

Lord:

Be with the sun and its morning brightness

And the moon that follows it

Be with the earth, for you did extend it

And seeded it with all kinds of life

Be with each life form, for you did create it

And encouraged it with your spirit

Be with all plants and all animals

And enable them to prosper each day

Be with our souls for you did shape them

And inspire them to your way

In the noise of each day and the quietness of each night

Grant us good stewardship towards your created life.   AMEN

                                                   D. Crone

                                 Our Dominion over Nature

We have no superiority or divine dominion over living things that belong to God; however, He allows us to use them and to be intellectually above them. Scripture stated: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth (Gen 2:28). Then came the fall of humankind and the flood of Noah. God begins again but this time the phase “subdue the earth and living things” was omitted (Gen. 2:15). The change occurs because we are to be siblings with other members of God’s creation.  Would God want us to massively exploit and destroy His earthly creations for short term profit? God has given human beings (the most intelligent brains on earth); therefore, dominion over other life may mean something else than complete domination and exploitation. Pollution, massive deforestation, and not living in any type of balance or harmony with nature cannot be in God’s will? Is our stewardship of the earth a responsible one if we do not protect it from massive change? Can we say that we truly are concerned for nature and all parts of God’s creation if we do not think about future consequences to the earth? Generally speaking, our relationship with natural things is not a loving one or a respectful one? Some of our food animals never touch the ground and are artificially fatten up with heavy antibiotic feed for our consumption (living in crowded conditions). There needs to be at least a balance between our human needs and nature. Nature can provide for us but we can provide for renewal of nature too in humane ways. For all of life and nature cries out through the process of birth, death and resurrection. God is Lord of heaven and earth and His intention is to save and restore all of creation (not just human beings). It seems like God needs to place a sign on our foreheads to read “Work with me people” to motivate us to treat nature better.   D. Cone

QUESTIONS:

1 Can there be a better balance between humans and nature?

2 Will recycling help with our natural resources?

3 Will sharing natural resources more fairly help the world?

4 Does there need to be large areas of underdevelopment for oxygen production.

5 Do we have an attitude of “us against nature” or an attitude of “working with nature”?

6 Can we treat nature like God treats us when it comes to dominion?

7 Could we change from a disposable product economy to a reusable product economy?