‘God, out of timeless eternity, created the heavens and the earth, and then ceased His creative activity, and rested (Genesis 2:1-2). "And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31)’ There was once a time when the earth, the creatures, and the natural resources were seen by the Creator as being good. The created order was a perfect testimony of the wisdom and greatness of the Creator. Today, we live on the same planet, but it seems that all is not good. The evidence is everywhere in our environment. Instead of life-sustaining rain from the heavens, we receive "acid rain." Millions of people suffer because of water shortages or contaminated water supplies from toxic chemicals or disease organisms. Expanding deserts, drought and famine are affecting millions of lives daily. The soil that nourishes us, the air that we breathe, and the fuels for our industries, cars, and homes are also diminishing in quantity and quality.
However, this depressing list of environmental problems should not be a surprise to those who understand the Scriptures which teach that the ‘curse of sin was placed upon man and the creation as a result of man's disobedience to God’. Perhaps the problems we witness today are a result of our own disregard to the stewardship and dominion role that God bestowed upon us at the time of creation. Indeed, according to Nancy Hanson (Kansas Interfaith Power and Light) ‘Caring for Earth’s natural environment is an essential, though often underemphasized, aspect of our Christian stewardship, obeying God, and loving our neighbours as ourselves’. This responsibility stems from the fact that a healthily functioning natural environment is, by God’s design, what sustains human life and of all God’s beloved species on this planet. By God’s design, we humans rely for our existence on the balance of nature, which includes the interaction and interdependence of all life forms and natural elements of Earth’s all-encompassing ecosphere. Our own actions must be part of that balance. In fact, by God’s design, we humans are to participate in this community of life forms as its caretakers and preservers.
Figure 1: Principle of sustained order and purpose of general Biblical Hierarchy
Stewardship is a popular term used by Catholics and non-Catholics alike when religious leaders want their followers to give something. It is often associated with the words "tithe," "generosity," and "money." While these associations are not wrong, stewardship means much more than simply giving time, talent, and treasure. Stewardship demands a way of life that encourages virtue and bears the fruit of solidarity among peoples.
And so who then is a steward? A steward is someone who handles affairs for someone else. In ancient kingdoms, stewards ran the country in the absence of the king. Upon the king's return, the steward gave a full accounting for his actions. Even when the king was present, the steward often handled the daily affairs of the kingdom. However, a steward did not own the kingdom. And, the king determined when and how long a steward would serve him.
In the Scripture we find many examples of stewards being placed over the affairs of their masters. Abram had Eliezer of Damascus, a slave born in the house of Abram as his steward. Were Abram not to have offspring, Eliezer would receive his freedom and inherit all Abram's possessions (Gen. 15:2-3). In Genesis 41, we find the story of Joseph and how Pharaoh made him steward over the land of Egypt. Joseph was not part of the royal family, and he would not inherit the throne. Yet, because of Joseph's wisdom and discretion given by God, Pharaoh entrusted the entire kingdom to his care. "[Y]ou shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only as regards the throne will I be greater than you" (Gen. 41:40).
This concept of stewardship dates from the beginning of time, when God entrusted the earth to Adam and Eve and their offspring (Gen. 1:26-28). All men are stewards of the earth's resources (Catechism, no. 2402). In a new way, all Christians are stewards of the earth and of the spiritual graces given through Christ's death and Resurrection. We have received not only the earth, but also many spiritual riches to be used to advance the kingdom of God (Lk. 19:11-27). Of course, the focus of the Bible is not upon natural resource preservation, but upon the preservation of the souls of men and women. However, the Scriptures clearly emphasize certain principles concerning the responsibility of Christians as stewards of the environment. It is upon such principles that I am persuaded Christians can only be effective witnesses as salt and light in this world, if they implore a new awareness of and commitment to living in harmony with the Creator and the created order.
When God created the earth and every living organism on it, He declared, "it is good." So why aren't we more concerned about preserving this goodness, maintaining the beauty of the earth, and helping to ensure that natural resources don't run out? Genesis 1:29-30 states, “… 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 ever living creature that moved on the ground.’” But how can creation be fruitful and multiply if we abuse, overuse, or simply neglect to care for our resources? All creatures and all natural resources belong to the Creator God (Exodus 19:5, Psalm 24:1). The divine Owner delegated to man the responsibility to be a steward of the natural order of creation. That is, man was called to subdue and rule over the earth (Genesis 1:28) while being careful "to dress it" (serve it) and "keep it" (preserve it) (Genesis 2:15). Many Christians distance themselves from the current green movement because they believe it is overdone. Some even refuse to respect the environment as a rebellion against this increasingly popular movement. This is wrong on many levels -- of course, it is not Christ-like, and secondly, it undermines our duties as stewards of creation.
According to Christopher Sealey, understanding the spirituality of true stewardship and values draws upon the biblical teachings and builds on five main tenets: Love, Sacrifice, Possessions, Ownership and Relationship In what he calls the Stewardship Hand
Figure 2: The Stewardship Hand (Adapted from Christopher Sealey)
Sealey further avers that as Christians we are called upon to practice values of Christian Stewardship and are reminded that it is each of our responsibility as Christian Stewards of our earth to practice respecting our environment which we depend on for life itself. To destroy God's good earth is to destroy ourselves and the works of God.
Jesus taught us to love our neighbours as ourselves — and caring for the natural environment is an essential part of that love. As Christians we must acknowledge our responsibility to defend creation when we pledge at our baptisms to “renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God”. We cannot allow the enemy to take over leadership in an area that is rightfully ours. As the redeemed of the earth, our motivation to care for the land is even higher. Jesus has redeemed all of the effects of the curse, including our relationship with God, our relationship with other people and our relationship with the creation (1 Cor. 15:21-22, Rom. 5:12-21)
‘What we do to the natural environment, we do to ourselves, our neighbours, our children, and all generations who follow us on earth’
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