It Is Good

Last night I had the privilege of studying Genesis 1-4 along with the teens in The Way. I must admit I've read these chapters many times, but I enjoyed reading them again. In fact, meditating on the creation story in the most beautiful place I've ever been moved my heart to praise every time I walked outside.
In my reading, I was reminded of something I learned in my Environmental Science class at MNU. In Genesis 2:15, we read that "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it". In Hebrew, the word used is shamar, which means to keep, protect, preserve, watch, and guard. In fact, this word is used repeatedly in the Old Testament to talk about how God takes care of us. So, the idea is not domination or exploitation...in fact, His intent is that we watch over His work with loving care, in the same manner that He watches over us. I'm so grieved when I hear Christians mock environmental care. How can the people of God, who claim to worship and serve Him, treat His good creation with such disregard? We are His stewards, His very image on this Earth, and for us, His creation should be beloved.
I will also add that this is the reason I am a vegetarian. Many people ask and I often neglect to give an intelligent answer, so hopefully, here it is. There is no judgement on others here...simply what I am compelled to do. For me, it comes down to this...the current state of food production-the inhumane manufacture, treatment, and slaughter of living creatures is distorted and unworthy of God's creation. (People often shy away from the details of how meat gets to their table, but as people who've been called to shamar God's creation, we need to make it our business.) In the Garden, we see all creatures and creation in perfect harmony. Now we know what happened, but a fallen world is not our Christian reality. For us, Jesus is the catalyst in God's restoration of His good and perfect creation...life in the garden. So, if we claim Him as Lord, we can no longer live in the fall, but we must live into that restoration. Not later, but NOW. This means living in harmony with Him, with each other, and with His creation. So for me, this means treating Creation-all creatures and this beautiful Earth, with love and respect worthy of the amazing, creative God that made them.
Now, just an end note. I am not suggesting that creation care displace care for each other or that these issues are more important than war, poverty, and the many injustices that plague our very broken world. I'm also not saying that everyone must become a vegetarian or a die-hard environmentalist...just that this creation story...OUR STORY calls and compels us to be God's image in this world and has implications that many of us have forgotten.