I lived in a suburban area of Manila ten years ago. As a young mother of two very little boys, I was always very paranoid about anything that concerned their health. Thank goodness, I later learned that it would be good for their immune system to be exposed to dirt and some healthy bacteria every now and then.

But still, I wouldn’t give any chance to mosquitoes or hideous flies getting near my boys. Dengue fever, typhoid fever, and other illnesses scare me. Then, just as my fears were heightened with the help of the daily health news concerning dengue, the garbage collectors ceased to collect our trash for more than four days! Apparently, there was some crisis with the overflow of garbage at the dumping site.

You can imagine the sight (forget about the smell!) of our neighborhood – plastic bags adorned our large trash bins, flies feasted on the rotting food, and trash spilled out of every household. Of course it dawned on me: uncollected trash equals flies and insects which equals all kinds of illnesses! A possible epidemic!

I didn’t waste any time in educating my neighbors about how we could handle the situation instead of just waiting for the garbage to be collected. Goodness, we could die covered in garbage if we didn’t make a “collective” effort in managing our trash! So I typed and handed out these tips on how to minimize household waste:
* Dig a hole in your backyard and bury scraps of food, pet litter, and all other biodegradable items. This is called composting. The compost can serve as fertilizer later for plants, flowers, and trees. It will prevent the flies from dancing around garbage bins and eventually reaching the kitchen and dinner table!
* Before throwing used diapers in the trash bin, scrape off the poop and flush it away. The dirty diapers will not then add to the stench as much.
* Use “bird’s eye cloth” and big safety pins for babies as an alternative to the diaper during the daytime. It’s economical, better for the baby’s skin, and environmentally friendly too.

I received different kinds of responses from my neighbors. Some supported the proactive move. I saw some of my neighbors bury their biodegradable trash in their front yards. Some laughed and scorned at the idea about clearing out the dirty diapers and using the “lampin” (bird’s eye cloth) because it’s no longer used in these modern times. They thought I was joking. At least, the stench was gone and there were fewer flies. As it turned out, the trash was collected after two days. However, during the weeks that followed, our trash was only collected once a week. This lasted for a month until another dumping site was identified.

Now that I live in Singapore, I no longer worry about the trash being collected on time but I still try to do a few things to minimize waste. I try to avoid food stalls that use plastic or styrofoam materials. If I cannot avoid using plastic during a party, I will reuse them for at least one other occasion before I throw them away.

I’ve recently destroyed and thrown away all my Tefal, Teflon, and aluminum cooking wares. I’ve read that the fumes released during cooking are not only bad for our health but also contributes to global warming as well. I’m now cooking healthy and nutritious food for my family using my new titanium stainless steel cooking wares.

When cleaning my home, I just mop with water and floor disinfectant once a week, since we don’t use our outdoor shoes inside the house anyway. It’s also another way to preserve our homogenous tiles. I use a dry, white sheet that catches all the dust and hairs when I sweep my floor everyday. I save water this way.

Another handy household item is the newspaper. I clean my windows and glass doors with it, including our pet rabbit’s cage. A rag would need to be washed with water and soap every time it is used.

I open my windows during the day instead of using my electric fan. At night, I prefer my electric fan over the air conditioner.

I share my love for our environment with my family and friends. I would like them to know that next to loving God and one another, is being good stewards of the Earth that God has given us to take care of. We can no longer play deaf or blind concerning the state of our environment. In the long run, our endeavors will benefit us, and our future generations.

Maria is a Filipino by birth and a Singaporean by choice. She’s a full-time wife and mom to three talented kids and a part-time actor and writer for TV. She also teaches creative writing, and speech and drama. She paints, reads or enjoys good movies whenever she needs to relax.

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it”
(Gen 2:15).

As I reside in the controlled comfort of my life in the developed world, I have become challenged to think more deeply about questions of place and faith that are seldom conveyed in sermons. I am a Christian ecologist and university professor, and as such, I am frequently asked by students how we might approach our roles as creation’s stewards and what God has for us in creation for our faith journey.

Fundamentally, I believe these questions should compel us to delve deeply into the concepts of wilderness and garden. These two terms seem to pivot about the direction of cultivation. Humanity can cultivate the creation by exerting control to bring about a transformation (a garden) from a formerly untamed setting (the wilderness). One could contrast this with wilderness in which the creation cultivates our humanity by exerting its control to bring about a transformation from one’s untamed, undisciplined flesh. It is cultivation, and its transformative outcomes, that relate to an ecological sense of place in the life of the Christian.

Sermons that touch upon the concepts or purposes of the natural world for our spiritual walk tend to focus on three main themes. First, that creation can impart a deeper sense of awe in us toward our Creator. Second, that it can provide a substrate for spiritual reflection upon the nature of God (general revelation). And third, that it can promote therapy and wellness through an experience of physical or spiritual trial. These are indeed some of the significant benefits that an experience in creation with God can bring about in the spiritual life of a Christian.

Rarely, however, are the physical derivatives of time spent in creation recognized. Many churches encourage their congregations to escape civilization for a time of retreat in a remote place, removed from the frenetic pace of (sub)urban existence. Parishioners, more often than not, flock to retreat centers or camps in the forest or mountains, only to congregate indoors to discuss and work through life’s challenges without ever connecting with the Creator of all life in a small corner of His creation. We come to gaze upon the beauty of the temple, but through protective glass to avoid biting insects, harsh conditions, and physical exertion. However, we end up falling short of truly entering in.

The Austral Wilderness

A picturesque summer morning in Tierra del Fuego National Park near Ushuaia, Argentina set the scene for me to explore some of these questions a few years ago. Our students were scattered across the park in teams assigned to engage their intellect by studying the flora and fauna of this Magellanic Subpolar Eco-region. My friend and colleague, David Foster, and I left them to their tasks and decided that we would ascend Sierra Valdivieso, a tongue of the Fuegian Andes that flanks the north shore of the Beagle Channel. We hoped to experience two elements of this unique Gondwanan wilderness.

The first goal was to observe the Magellanic Woodpecker, a sister species of the ultra-endangered Ivory-Billed Woodpecker that teeters upon the brink of extinction due to human caused degradation of their North American habitat. As with the Ivory Bill, these avian residents of the southern Andean beech forests are known for their shy disposition and, on that day, they taunted us with their characteristic two-tap tree drumming nearby. Each time we approached, they retreated to a safer distance and remained unseen. As they led us off the trail and deeper into the forest, we were finally impeded by a steep, formidable ravine. Making visual contact with the woodpeckers would have to wait until another day, although we both had a clear sense that we had encountered them nonetheless. We then pressed on to our second objective, to ascend and observe the alpine landscape overlooking the Murray Narrows to the south.

It was in the Narrows that Admiral Robert FitzRoy anchored the HMS Beagle in a cove to escape the harsh maritime conditions of the region. Here was where the young Charles Darwin made intensive collection forays into a mysterious wilderness that subsequently filled British museums with specimens and fueled thought and debate over the origin and diversity of life.1 We were greatly excited at the prospect of gazing out over the geography described in The Voyage of the Beagle that had helped shape human understanding of flora and fauna around the world.2 A mixture of snow flurries, rain, and sun made our summer hike one of great intrigue. We continued upward to meet the high slopes of Valdivieso and together we peered out over the landscape. From our elevated vantage, it was easy for our minds to drift to the historic collision of indigenous and Western cultures during the European colonization of this region.

The Yamana were the direct descendants of the first humans that inhabited this Fuegian zone and were well adapted to extreme conditions. They were able to exist sustainably in this formidable climate and without the vast material wealth that accompanied the visiting European naturalists and explorers of the 1800s.3 To the Yamana, this land was a garden; to the visiting Europeans, it was a wilderness to be conquered. During and after the subjugation and genocide of the Yamana, the settlers sought to tame this wilderness with the passion of looters, resolute to gain the lavish praise of royal benefactors by bringing back the spoils of the New World to the Old.4 The ecologically literate had been exchanged for the ecologically illiterate. By the time the offspring of European settlers came to call southern Patagonia “home,” the tamed land could no longer effectively mentor its humans in the key traditions of sustainable living.

During a chatty roadside breakfast near Lago Escondido just two days after our experience on Valdivieso, our class was awed at seeing not one, but three Magellanic Woodpeckers land on and forage on the insect larvae in a dead tree only twenty meters away. Astonishing! Yet upon later reflection, my first experience with the woodpeckers seemed to have been more profound. The venture into the beech forest after a treasured, elusive creature yielded a more satisfying understanding of it than when we were effortlessly presented with them along the roadside. On the trail up to Valdivieso, I can remember the sight of coarse woody debris, the smell of the tree roots and humid soil, the moist air, the taste of the stream’s water, the medley of green hues, the geographic relief, and the communion with both my fellow naturalist and the drumming birds. I had walked in a garden. The day in the wilderness released a fuller awareness through multiple senses in ways I could not have perceived otherwise.

I have experienced many wild lands across North, Central, and South America; the windy pampas of Argentina; the tropical dry forests of the Darien Gap of Panama, the misty highlands of Costa Rica, the scrubby pine savannahs of Belize, the temperate deciduous Appalachian forests, the Sonoran desert of Mexico, and the boreal forest of the Minnesota Boundary Waters. However, on that particular day in Tierra del Fuego, God revealed to me a new sense of place: that one of the world’s greatest wilderness was really a garden.

Erik Lindquist, is Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Science at Messiah College. His Ph.D. research at Ohio State University, completed in 1997, explored communication among “earless” tropical frogs. He has devoted nearly 15 years to the conservation of the Panamanian golden frog and other endangered tropical amphibians. Erik has extensive experience in research, teaching, and service in Latin America. He believes that excellence in science instruction must move beyond the passive learning environment into a learning space that is visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Erik’s two chief goals in his professional life are to help Christians live intentionally and to help reveal the magnificence of Creation. As a professor, he strives to make every effort to encourage students to become introspective by examining their lives, their faith, and their world and, as a result of this process he hopes that students develop character and a greater sense of meaning and fulfillment in life. He and his wife, Molly, have four children and extensively travel through Central and South America. The Lindquist family also serves as advocates for Food for the Hungry.

Notes

1 For firsthand journal entries, see Darwin, Charles R. The Voyage of the Beagle. London: Penguin Books, 1989, c.1839, p 171-185; colonial era historic synopses, Murphy, Dallas. Rounding the Horn: Being the Story of Williwaws and Windjammers, Drake, Darwin, Murdered Missionaries and Naked Natives – a Deck’s-eye View of Cape Horn. New York: Basic Books, 2004, p 145-158; and Nichols, Peter. Evolution’s Captain: the Dark Fate of the Man who Sailed Charles Darwin Around the World. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.

2 Darwin, The Voyage of the Beagle.

3 Borrero, Luis A. and McEwan, Colin. “The Peopling of Patagonia,” in Colin McEwan, Luis A. Borrero, and Alfredo Prieto, (eds), Patagonia: Natural History, Prehistory and the Ethnography at the Uttermost End of the Earth. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1997, p 32-46.

4 Mateo, Martinic B. “The Meeting of Two Cultures,” in Colin McEwan, Luis A. Borrero, and Alfredo Prieto, (eds). Patagonia: Natural History, Prehistory and the Ethnography at the Uttermost End of the Earth. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1997, p 110-126.

All photos provided by author.

More information and photos about the Magellanic Woodpecker can be found at www.avesdechile.cl/115en.htm.

The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible has been referenced.

What were the steps involved in your decision to use less energy in your home, and who or what influenced these decisions?

My mum has always shown me the way – not to waste food, turn off appliances when not in use, keep the last run of water from the washing machine for cleaning the toilet, etc. This was way before green issues gained traction. Limited family finance was probably the prime motivation. Things are certainly better now and creature comforts have been gradually added over the years. But somehow we never found the need for air-conditioning. There were days when the weather was really warm and the solution was simply to go and take another shower (without using the heater, of course). Several years ago, I came across an article on standby power taking up a significant proportion of the electrical bill. Then I realized many appliances at home were on standby and were not frequently used. Why allow electricity to leak? I decided to turn them off. My mum has always been at it, I was the one who needed reform.

I had a friend who once remarked, “Live simply, and you will simply live.” I also found out years ago that I had a rare eye condition that could have been triggered by stress. Taken together, it got me asking myself: “Could life be made simpler?” So it was more than just trying to be green, it was part of a bigger question of “removing baggage” and being a work-in-progress steward. Some days I succeeded, some days I failed. But I felt I must at least grapple or struggle with it.

How would you describe your lifestyle?

There are still a lot of areas that I am grappling with. I am only learning to be aware of the impact of my actions. My current lifestyle is simple but not spartan. Thankfully, my workplace is near home and so it makes owning a car far less compelling. And that opens up a lot of possibilities to do more significant things. I still do enjoy little pleasures from time to time – traveling is one. The general rule I try to abide by is: Live a little below my means, and then a little more, if I can afford it.

What keeps you motivated when some days you feel like giving up?

Actually there have been some days I simply gave up! Over time, I found that altruism alone does not last very long for me. What seems more motivating is to resolve ironies and generate two or more benefits from them. Several months ago, I had wanted to increase my frequency of physical exercise but just could not find time for it. Then it dawned upon me that I could take the stairs instead of using the lift. So that’s one less demand on a public facility and one more routine for a healthy heart.

Explain the theology behind your beliefs or in other words, how has the Bible informed your worldview?

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it (Ps 24:1). Let God not find it in ruins on the day of reckoning. And I suspect it reflects the collective spiritual condition as well. When God put Adam in the Garden the intent was for him to cultivate it and keep it (Gen 2:15). I understand the Hebrew word for “keep,” i.e. “shamar,” has the notion of “keep, watch, preserve.” I take it to mean caring for it in a sustainable way. So by extension, I believe the Greater Eden should similarly be shamar-ed. How do we then shamar the earth? When the Israelites collected the manna, they were instructed to take what they needed. Feedback was immediate for those who tried to push the envelope – in the form of bad food infested with maggots (Ex 16:20). The difference today is that the consequence of our actions is imperceptible and removed from us (both in time and distance). We do not see how our individual actions could collectively bring about unintended consequences. But nature is not keeping silent. I am afraid when it does fight back it might come fast and furious. And then ironically, the land will finally enjoy its Sabbath rest (Lev 26:34, 35).

What are some other things you would like to do but haven’t been able to so far?

Some time ago, I read The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan and it inspired a thought: I would like to have a small plot to grow my own greens. This is not aimed at self-sufficiency. But I think it would be fun to appreciate the process of converting the sun’s energy into food. I’d like to know what I eat is not an outcome of a transaction but someone has put in effort to bring it to the table. I had a taste of it when I grew my own rice not long ago. By the way, it was not much of a harvest, not even a spoonful, but for me it was deeply satisfying.

How did your family and friends react toward your conservation efforts?

I am mainly experimenting. So I seldom talk about it with friends. Some have expressed surprise that there is such a community that gives things away such as SgFreeCycle. Others have wanted to do something similar but did not know the resource. But at home, this has been a fun conversation topic with my mum.

Share a story with us from your environmental endeavors over the last few years.

When I first signed up with Bookmooch, an online book exchange platform, I was quite skeptical. Even though there were some safeguards built-in, there were still ways to beat the system. And so I thought, “Why would anybody send a book to a stranger halfway round the globe?” “What if the sender shortchanged me?” Quite unexpectedly, it became an instructive exercise that surfaced some deep-seated stereotypes, even faultlines. It’s just books, one may say, don’t take it too hard. But I think better to have them surfaced in little things, rather than big ones. I do not know to what extent did I save the earth, I think being more self-aware is already a big plus.

What are the biggest challenges you think Singapore and the greater global village face?

In the past when societies were organized around agriculture, there was a certain awareness that what sustained us was dependent on natural cycles and the elements. It was encoded in our culture – in the form of harvest celebrations, rituals to ask for rain, etc. Today, especially in the cities, we are less sensitive to these factors. The ability to get what we want is (perceived) to hinge on only how much money we have. Perhaps this has sent us in the wrong direction.

I think a lot of products are not priced correctly. There seems to be no effective way to account for the externalities like pollution and irreversible damages on the place of origin. But many are beginning to be more aware and there are some promising new technologies on the horizon. We will have to encourage more people to make good choices rather than the proverbial cynic who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing (Oscar Wilde).

Tan Chee Leong is a research engineer and worships at Covenant Evangelical Free Church. He enjoys reading, tending to his small collection of herbs, diving, and traveling to rural locations for hikes or walks. His pet peeves include second-hand smoke and the phrase “at the end of the day.”

The New American Standard Bible has been referenced.

Our first modern day environmental crisis wave appeared in the 70s with doomsday predictions in almost every area of supply, health, and survival. I remember the dire predictions of only seven years of oil remaining, ten years of copper, starvation for the planet, etc., etc., etc. It was part of the force that compelled me to get my first university degree in Environmental Science.

Almost forty years later, we are in the midst of another wave. The current doomsday predictions have a different twist but will likely be written about forty years from now as unfulfilled as the previous predictions. In trying to make a point, too often facts are exaggerated and they produce the wrong reaction: inaction.

Is there a problem or is it all hype? As Christians, how do we respond to it and those who are waving its banner? If we take a good look at the causes versus the symptoms we can see our role in the real problems and how we can lead others through the maze of legislations, “ecotage,” and green phraseology.

First, is there a problem? Yes. Greed, selfishness, and a disregard for others is always a problem. The disparity between what some have and what others don’t is too obvious to ignore and it doesn’t take much thinking to see that the resources some use could benefit many others.

With worldwide communication, it is also clear that the poorer countries are exploited economically and environmentally by those that desire their resources. The poorer nations are willing to trade their resources for a chance at a better life. They are ravaging their own countries without regard for the consequences.

If the wealthy nations didn’t have an insatiable appetite for material things, the poor countries wouldn’t have to sacrifice their resources and environment for the survival economy it creates. In the developed nations, a factory would never be allowed to do what is done in third world countries. Factories should be forced to clean up the water and air they pollute. However, these costs are avoided in third world countries and the consuming nations get their products at a cheaper price (but at a much higher real cost).

If left unchecked, this kind of irresponsible living brings down all the natural systems and in time, the human systems we know today. How long this will take will depend on how we respond to the real problems at hand. How do we respond without losing the balance that Jesus brings between the complex issues of life?

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Mt 7:12)

If we apply that to the environmental situation then we need to see that our over-consumption helps lead to scarcity. Our need for inordinate profit and financial return increases the likelihood for exploitation. Someone has to pay for lunch, there really is no such thing as a free one. So pay a fair price and don’t overeat.

We need to look at the material things we have as though we were trying to do the most good with them. The first direction humans were ever given involved our “rule over” creation. How much material resources we need should be based on what is good for all and not on our style preferences or boredom with a particular article of clothing.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (Gen 1:26)

I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. (Phil 4:10-13)

We also lose one of our best witnessing tools when we distance ourselves from the creation that many non-Christians are trying to protect. Christians should be naturalists as they admire and draw inspiration and encouragement from God’s handiwork. The best tract ever written gets rewritten every day: creation.

I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the Gospel also to you who are at Rome. I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’ (Rom 1:14-17)

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (italics mine) (Rom 1:18-20)

When we distance ourselves from creation, we leave people to come up with their own conclusions and the lifestyles that result. Worship the Creator and with admiration, be wise stewards of His creation. This means that we recycle, only take what we need, reuse and pass on material goods, and constantly give credit for creation to the Creator. If we keep His creation sharp and in focus, it is a powerful witnessing opportunity. If we don’t, He tells us what will happen.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen. (Rom 1:21-25)

Our concern for these misinformed people should override any repulsion their actions might create. They are first and foremost another example of His creation that we need to do our best by.

The application of these convictions produces a Christian who is very green in an environmental sense but also one who is more loving and more influential for culture change and witnessing.

By being “green” we would also get “caught” doing some of the “good works” that we were created for. Churches should be known for their ability to utilize people’s resources to impact the world; through food and clothing banks, overseas mission trips that help in any area of need, and through a low carbon footprint as they recycle and reuse as much as possible. That always creates a positive platform for the Gospel.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph 2:10)

For each of us, a season of evaluation and change will help prepare us to increase our impact with the resources that come our way. But never lose sight of the real treasure here on earth, the ultimate resource: people.

Mark Schaufler graduated with a degree in Environmental Science and has a Master of Arts in Biblical Literature. He is an author and the founder of Finish-the-Race.org, a youth ministry training program in the United States. He also started and is the CEO of MST Ministries, providing evangelistic preaching, training, and resources; leading over a hundred short term missions on six continents since 1984. Visit www.mstgo.com to find out more about Mark’s ministry.

The New International Version of the Bible has been referenced.

We read more news on climate change, global warming, increase in sea levels, and species extinctions today than we did just five years ago. Environmental consciousness is at an all-time high. What used to be the politely tolerated doomsday views of scientists in their ivory towers have now become accepted facts and mainstream beliefs.

Former US Vice-President Al Gore has probably gained more international prominence than any other ex-Vice-President in history through his documentary An Inconvenient Truth, highlighting global environmental issues which have captured unprecedented attention. Nature and environmental issues are also gaining significance in international forums outside traditional international environmental meetings – environmental issues are discussed at global platforms like the World Trade Organization and the International Maritime Organization. In politics, Green Parties exist in many European countries and America. The German Green Party was the first in the world to achieve national prominence; that party was even part of the federal coalition government of Germany from 1998 to 2005.

Christians and the Environment

There have always been Christians who identify with nature and environmental causes. The term “creation care” is used in some circles to describe such causes from a Christian perspective. It was coined to emphasize the fact that nature and the environment are actually integral parts of Creation, and caring for them is caring for what God had created.

Though it is currently not of priority on the average evangelical agenda, the number of Christians interested in the environment, and organizations that provide platforms to translate this interest into action is not insignificant. The Evangelical Environmental Network (www.creationcare.org) provides information for Christians interested in caring for the environment; they also publish a quarterly magazine Creation Care, providing insightful articles on Christian perspectives on the environment. Christian conviction in response to environmental concerns has also gone beyond providing information resources – A Rocha is an international conservation organization that bases its existence and activities on Christian values like love, obedience, justice, and hope. It supports conservation projects, with a presence in at least 19 countries worldwide.

Christians are also joining other like-minded people to escalate the global environmental agenda. In 2006, Fortune reported on a coalition of evangelical Christians, Fortune 500 executives, and environmentalists who issued a joint “call to action” for the US to do more to curb global warming. Author of The Purpose-driven Life, Rick Warren, together with leaders of World Vision, and the Salvation Army in the US were among Christians who identified with this coalition.

Biblical Basis

Is this just the “flavor of the week” for international and local media? What should a Christian do? In the first place, should a Christian do anything at all about all this? Just because Christians elsewhere are doing it, should this be the reason for us to jump in? Is this an issue that we should politely look at, but not get too involved in?

What are the biblical foundations for a Christian response to global issues related to nature and the environment? How biblical is this idea of caring for the environment, anyway? I will not attempt anything remotely close to a biblical treatise on this topic, but will only highlight a few passages to illustrate some reference points for a creation care conviction.

It’s always good to start at the beginning and Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” God is the Creator – not just of humans but also of every living and non-living thing on the earth. Just as loving a person necessitates at least a caring respect for things he or she makes, loving God requires an aspect that respects and cares for His creation.

The Psalmist fills the 104th Psalm with poetic descriptions of God’s creation – indeed it expresses the tangible delight that God has as He directs and controls all that He has created. In his vision of heaven, John described the worship of the living creatures who express the fact that God created all things as a conscious act of His will (Rev 4:11). He created them because He wanted to.

Israel: An Illustration of Creation

I gained a new perspective on the value God places on nature when I visited Israel recently. We know that God unilaterally chose Israel to call His own among all the nations of the earth. He did this even though Israel was by no means among the most powerful or influential nations in the world or even the region – it was not blessed with a large population that could easily overrun other nations militarily; neither was it a technological or political force internationally.

While not simplistically suggesting that this was the reason God chose Israel, it is a fact that within its very small geographical boundaries (less than 21,000km2 in area – for comparison, peninsular Malaysia has an area of more than 131,000km2), it possesses natural habitats ranging from arid deserts to lush wetlands, coral reefs to snow-capped mountains. Indeed, Israel illustrates creation – it is a veritable demonstration site for the biological and habitat diversity of the world!

Environmental Stewardship

Francis Schaeffer in his 1970 book Pollution and the Death of Man writes, “… nature: it is not our own. It belongs to God, and we are to exercise our dominion over these things not as though entitled to exploit them, but as things borrowed or held in trust. We are to use them realizing they are not ours intrinsically. Man’s dominion is under God’s dominion.”

This concept of stewardship carries with it a responsibility for the welfare of what has been placed in trust, and an accountability of the steward to the Master in the discharge of his duty. It is probably not too far-fetched to apply the account of the servant left in charge of his master’s possessions in Matthew 24:45-46 to the relationship of Man – who has been granted dominion over all other species (Gen 1:28-29) and everything else in creation.

Respect for Creation

Related to the attitude of environmental stewardship is that of recognizing that God values the whole world, including the environment because it is His creation. Francis Schaeffer, in the same book, writes, “The man who believes things are there only by chance cannot give things a real intrinsic value. But for the Christian, there is an intrinsic value. The value of a thing is not in itself autonomously, but because God made it. It deserves this respect as something which was created by God, as Man himself has been created by God.”

A detail that is not often noticed in the covenant God initiated with Noah after the Flood is that the covenant also included “every living creature” (Gen 9:12). In case we dismiss it as an extraneous oversight on God’s part, the inclusion of “all living creatures of every kind” as beneficiaries of the covenant was reiterated in verse 15. If God so chooses to honor these creatures, who are we to decide that they are not worthy of our respect? What are the implications to us if we knowingly destroy the world that God has sworn not to harm?

Apathy, Activism, Action

Given the situation, we should respond with action, not apathy. Most responses to environmental concerns we read of are expressed in activism. However, action need not be exclusively manifested as activism. Neither should a lack of activism for environmental causes be construed as apathy towards our stewardship obligations to creation or disrespect for the work of the Creator. Conversely, activism by itself is also not evidence of a lack of apathy. The adrenaline, allure, and acclaim of activism itself can corrupt the pure concern for nature and the environment as motivators for action.

What Can We Do?

Do something, however small and insignificant you may think it is – it does count. Some in Singapore think that since we are so small and have so little nature in comparison with what the rest of the world has, it does not matter what we do or not do. While this presumption is not based on fact and can be refuted (even though we are small, we do have a significant number of plant and animal species, and diverse natural habitats), what is more important is that this thinking may be akin to that of the last servant in the parable of the talents (Mt 25:18, 24-27). Five loaves and two fish have been shown to feed five thousand; not offering those five loaves and two fish could have meant that more than five thousand went hungry (Mt 14:14-21).

Live with an attitude of contentment in your purchasing decisions. Many global environmental problems are related to pollution and excessive use of energy resources; these in turn are directly linked to our own demand for goods. Many of the goods we have are necessary, but quite a few we purchase are more in response to values of the world like greed, lust, hoarding, and selfishness than we would care to admit.

Learn to appreciate the natural world. There are many opportunities for this, even within an urban context like Singapore. Visit a nature reserve, a park, your own backyard or even just take a closer look at one of the many trees in the city. Recognize the design, insight and creative molding that went into each plant and animal, habitat and natural landscape that we see around us and remind yourself that it was God the Creator who personally made these with His own Hands.

Nigel is a marine biologist by training and currently deals with marine conservation policy issues in Singapore. Together with his wife Christina, they worship at Bethesda Cathedral, Singapore.

The New International Version of the Bible has been referenced.