Creation

One of my earliest memories is from when I was three years old. I don’t remember anything about the details expect the feeling of immediate guilt. In the midst of playing outside, I intentionally destroyed an anthill. With one aggressive stomp, I must have killed hundreds of ants. After this sudden jolt of devilishness, I recall being so upset about the fate of those ants that I cried for hours. The constant memory instilled a sense of empathy that I still can’t seem to shake today. There’s a sacred interconnectedness between all living things, and its power can be felt even at three years old.

Humanity has a kinship with God’s creation. Our relationship with God is intimately connected to how we relate to the earth and all its creatures. We are made in the image of God, meaning that although we inevitably fall short, we are striving to do as God does. God loves, so we love. God forgives, so we forgive. God cares for the earth, so we care for the earth.

In Genesis, God grants us dominion over the earth. However, that dominion is not a license to destroy and exploit it. Human dominion is a special responsibility. Our role within creation is to serve and tend to a garden that ultimately belongs to God. Because God created those ants, they are God’s ants. A necessary component to Christian humility is the insistence that we are not superior to anyone or anything that God has created.

The task of caring for the environment looms large as we face issues that will require a collective response. There’s a host of concerns: depletion of non-renewable resources, destruction of habitats, prevalence of acid rain, increasing waste, pollution from toxic emissions, and the erosion of topsoil. These issues can weigh far too heavy if we plan to simply have individuals address them. Instead, problems that are created by all, require all of us to overcome them. It’s not about guilt, it’s about future action.

The lesson to learn from my anthill experience is not to beat myself up about it, but to strive to never intentionally step on an anthill again. God forgives us, indeed, but God also calls us. Especially as Christians, our voice for bettering the world matters. The claim that all creation belongs to God is important. As a leader in the Church, I’m bias, but I would argue that our Christian voice is among the most important. Hope is our engine. Mission is our action. Because Christians are familiar with the idea of what it means to be called, we can truly make a difference. God is moving us; I can feel it. God is awakening us, motivating us, and shaking us out of our apathy. Resurrection, new life, is happening all around us and there’s so much more instore! 

With garden tool in hand,

Pastor Lucas

Photo by Ravi Pinisetti