Christian stewardship cannot be completed without addressing the environment and the rest of God's creation. Christianity for so long has been focusing primarily on human beings. The church teaches and preaches as if human beings are the only ones whom God cares about. The core teaching of Christianity has been tending the spiritual dimensions of human life.
What is missing? Think about this: We the redeemed individuals, saved by God's grace, leave the church buildings and go on to live life in ways that destroy God's creation. On the one hand, we say we are God's agents who bring peace to the earth; on the other hand, we live life in ways that contribute to the destruction of God's earth. Such a contradiction is what is missing if the church leaves the planet out.
My former colleague, Dr. Sallie McFague has a wonderful book, A New Climate for Theology: God, the World, and Global Warming. (Fortress Press, 2008). It will be translated into several languages. In this book, Dr. McFague opens our minds to see the inadequacy of conventional Christian teachings with regard to the environment. This failing begins with a popular theological view that says God is interested in human begins only and their spiritual status. This view says God has no interest in secular matters. God would have no interest in the melting of ice shields in the Arctic or the kind of engines we put in our cars. God doesn't care whether forest could be re-grown after clear cutting. God doesn't care whether we dump plastic bag or non-decomposable styrofoam cups to the landfills. God cares only whether you believe in Jesus and go to church or not! This view isn't dead. It is around us.
McFague continues by saying by taking the environment and the planet out of the major Christian concern, it betrays the Christian understanding of catholicity, it means whole or entire. The catholicity of the church in its broadest sense demands Christians not to leave creation and the health of the planet out. The Greek word for house, oikos, is the source of the words for ecology, ecumenical, and economics. Yes! Economics. Economics is not just about money exchanges but about the allocation of resources. It is about who get what and why, hence it is about life and death. That is why ecology an economy are tied together. For this reason, McFague argues Christian understanding of salvation needs to incorporate these three words and promote the well-being of all who dwell in God's household. Concepts of salvation need to expand as a consequence. The gospel needs to be good news to all, not just humans since God's economy or ecology does not leave the earth out. That is why McFague says climate change is a theological issue. Theology could not afford to leave the physical world out.
Psalm 19:1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." How could a polluted sky tell the glory of God? How could polluted river and oceans showcase the magnificent works of the Creator? Our consumerist culture has completed its education on us when we think we can do whatever we want with the earth. Yet, our love of God cannot be separated from God's created world, grass, oceans, trees and animals. We must see at last the interconnectedness of life; that is everything is related to everything else. If our water, rivers, oceans and environment are polluted, the quality of human life will suffer. A prosperous humanity relies on a healthy planet.
But this is our challenge: We learn patterns of life and ways of thinking when we were young and many of these earth damaging habits are difficult to get rid of. Above all, ethical living is not just a matter of personal choice, although it helps. The church needs to realize the church is part of the problem where the "system" we live in is faulted. Responsible Christians need to speak out and work with government officials to reverse the damage humanity has done for ages. The ability to make things better by way of personal ethical choice alone is severely limited without collective changes coming from political leaders and the will of its citizens.
Christianity, along with Judaism, has an unyielding commitment to bring peace and justice on earth. To reflect the glory of God through our living is not an abstract theological concept or cannot be reduced to merely pious practices but we could actually love God by loving the very things God created. There are times we love God by caring for other human beings; there are times we love God by tending the environment by making eco-friendly choices. We could fall in love with God by loving the earth.
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