Sunday, July 9, 2017

sustainability and stewardship

Buzzwords:  green, eco-, sustainable, organic, homemade, simple, healthy, local… you see where this is going.
                           
Matt and I live in Seattle, where there’s no shortage of this kind of language.  And though I have yet to literally hug a tree, we feel right at home in the ecocentric Northwest. 

I was not always on board with the “environmentalism” paradigm (not that I was “anti-” either… I just hadn’t truly given it much thought).  As a kid, my parents raised me to love Jesus and love other people as well as I could.  And as I’ve gotten older, I’m learning just how integral caring for the earth is to both of those things.  There are a mind-boggling number of scientists, documentaries, and even small island nations that will tell you how dangerous climate change and resource exploitation are to humanity.  I don’t need to rehash those details here (if you’re curious, I’ve added some links below).  If you disagree, that’s okay—I hope we can still have this conversation anyway. 

I’ve had some interesting discussions on faith and ecological responsibility since starting my grad program at Fuller, and this culminated most recently at the end of last quarter when I wrote my final exegetical paper on a section from Romans 8.  Starting in verse 18, Paul writes…

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory about to be revealed to us.  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” (NRSV)

If you read through the entire text, you’ll find that there’s an “already-but-not-yet” element to Paul’s understanding of adoption and redemption.  Jesus inaugurated something great, but the Church he set up is bridging the gap between the Spirit that is already at work and the Kingdom that is yet to be fully realized.  I have heard the theory that the earth was given to humans to tame and to use; and that our rightful place is in heaven one day—so what difference does trying to save it make?  Paul (in my own humble understanding) seems to disagree.  There is a place for creation—all of creation—alongside the redemption of the children of God.  Might I even go so far as to suggest that we are called to be instrumental in breaking that “bondage to decay” that the world is experiencing?  John does say that God so loved “the world,” right?  Perhaps we should be doing more on its behalf. 

“God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)

What if God, in creating humans in His image, intended for our “dominion” over the earth (Gen 1:27) to look more like stewardship than conquest?  In Ancient Near Eastern traditions, bearing the ‘image’ of the king meant bearing the stamp of his authority to rule, and doing so in the same manner the king himself wouldThe ‘image-bearer’ is a representative.  How are we, those of us who call ourselves Christians, representing the care and compassion of God to our natural environment and the other species sharing it?  Because we know now that what we do to creation, we do to ourselves.    

So here’s where I land on this:  global and national policies need to change.   I firmly believe that Christians should be the first advocates willing to speak up in our private and political spheres for the protection of the earth.  However, while my voice makes whatever impact it may, I need the ins-and-outs of my daily life to reflect those values and convictions as well.  There are other tangible things I can do.  Things that may both (a) make an impact on the shalom of creation (even if it’s a very small one), and (b) regularly remind me that God gave us good gifts to hold and care for, not to use and lose.  Enter #sustainabilitygoals

Some of these are practices Matt and I are currently trying to put in place, and some are challenges that we hope to tackle in the near future.  Either way, here is a start to some small things [I think] we can do to steward well:

·         Using re-usable over disposable products.  Water bottles, coffee mugs, shopping bags, produce bags, napkins and paper towels, straws… the list here can get pretty substantial.

·         Buying in bulk.  The bulk section that is:  grains, beans, baking supplies… bring your own containers and skip the excess packaging.

·         Cooking more at-home meals.  You’re more likely to spend less, waste less, and consume more real food products.  Plus, there’s always more to learn!

·         Considering a minimalist approach // learning to declutter. Decrease ‘stuff,’ decrease stress.  We generally have more than we need.

·         Thinking about our traveling ‘footprint.’  Do you walk, bike, take public transportation?

·         Eating less meat.  It takes a lot less land and water to produce veggies.

·         Recycling and composting.  Even biodegradable materials become toxic in landfills.

·         Unsubscribing.  Paper and internet junk mail?  Don’t need that.

·         Practicing consumer consciousness.  This includes clothing and household items—ethical and high quality products do exist.

·         Planting a garden.  Producing healthy food + connecting intimately with what we eat = overall win. 

·         Reducing household energy use.  Turning off lights, unplugging appliances and accessories, and turning off the water each take just a quick second. 

If you’re already doing some of these things, I’d love to hear how they’re going!  Or if you have new ideas, please share and we can add to the list.  I know it’s easy to feel like a small fish in a big pond when it comes to changing the system.  But as Bob Pierce (the founder of World Vision) once said, “Don’t fail to do something just because you can’t do everything.”


Christ has no body on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which
Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out;
yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good;
and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.
-St. Teresa of Avila


Additional resources on climate change:
-          From NASA:  https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/   
-          From the EPA:  https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators   
-          Documentary on the islands of the Maldives:  http://theislandpresident.com/

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