It has become very fashionable recently to consider the environment: research in to renewable energy is costing tax payers a lot of money, industry in the U.K. is being put through carbon audits and now it is up to you: to use bio-active fuel in your car; to buy low-energy light bulbs that can't actually light a room; to start a hydroponic farm in your utility room; to collect rain water to wash yourself and while your at it sink a ground source heat pump in the back garden that'll heat your house albeit not as effectively as burning oil. The list goes on...
But perhaps we shouldn't be to hasty, have we forgotten our proverbial pinch of salt? Now I have heard some Christians say that this is a matter of incalculable importance, that going green isn't just a great idea but that there is a biblical mandate for caring for the world. Some groups in America have even taken to asking the question: What would Jesus drive? Of course the answer is obvious: Jesus wouldn't drive he would take the bus...
So in the muggy haze of carbon offsetting and energy audits what is the correct response as a Christian? I'm not entirely sure, but there is an argument that doesn't get voiced that often and it goes something like this:
This world wasn't meant to last forever, like a vapour in the wind it is dissipating, running down like a tired clock. It is therefore futile to try and make the world a home forever. The suspicion is that underneath the guise of renewable energy, there is a longing for eternal energy sources, there aren't any: the sun will one day cease to burn, the winds will fade and the earth's tides will be still. That day we will all see, that no matter how hard we have tried to sustain the environment; the environment was never going to be eternal...
But what do you think? Please feel free to comment below.
4 Responses to “Carbon unsettling”
January 28th, 2008 at 02:22 PM A response… Right at the start of the world God gave humankind the great responsibility to "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 every living creature that moves on the ground." (Genesis 1 v 28). It is in the interpretation of this verse that differing Christian attitudes to the environment lie. Traditionally we have seen humankind as the pinnacle of God’s great work of creation and we have therefore interpreted this verse in the sense that the creation was made for us and our enjoyment. In the act of subduing the earth we have used the earth and its resources for our benefit. Another interpretation of these verses is that the earth is not intended to be our playground to be used for our benefit and pleasure but that mankind is given responsibility over God’s creation as caretakers. We have dominion over the earth but it is, like the rule of God, not a ruthless uncaring rule which is only self-serving but rather a rule of love and compassion where the gift of God’s creation is looked after and tended as one might tend a garden. It should be noted that in the beginning, God looked at his handiwork of creation and ‘it was good’ (Genesis 1 v31) and it was only after the sin of man that pain and death; destruction and disease came into the world. What was once good and perfect became corrupted and ‘broken’ through the actions of man. Surely then as we live on this earth as God’s representatives we ought to be imitating his generous and benevolent care of the world, not abusing it or destroying the earth for our own benefit. After all, creation was made to reflect the glory of God not the sinfulness of man. Surely also, in our battle against sin and its effects on mankind we should be seeking to at least reduce our own negative effect on the world and not contribute to the overall destruction and decay of the earth’s resources and the consequences this has for our fellow man. We might not have a direct Biblical mandate to strive endlessly to save the world from its eventual destruction but surely there is something that we should be doing as Christians to act as witnesses to God rather than carelessly drifting towards the final destruction of this passing age.
March 6th, 2008 at 01:24 PM
hello is there a general comment place on this site?
March 6th, 2008 at 02:59 PM
We currently do not have a general comments area for this site. We may add one in the future. Thanks for your comment. If you need to contact the church directly you can email us.
March 6th, 2008 at 03:23 PM
FYI, I added a general comments entry just below Mervyn’s musing. Looks like its time to review the website layout – it’s getting a little crowded!
Have your say. Let us know what you think.
Note: Comments will go through a spam filter before being displayed, so they wont appear beside the article for a while. Also, the author of the article will decide if comments are allowed, so you can't 'Have your say' on every article. After a month(approx.) no further comments are allowed.