Did you know that humanity’s very first calling was to care for creation? In Genesis 1, we walk through the story of God’s creation of all of life, and again and again we hear Him call every aspect of it good. In fact, God loves His creation so much that he introduces a final form of life – human beings – and gives them a very special role. He sets them in place to be His “image” and to “rule over” the rest of creation on His behalf. To be God’s image is to be an embodied expression of His Person in the world. To “rule over it” on his behalf is to govern it with the justice and love that He exhibited in creating it in the first place. As we move on to Genesis 2:15, there’s more – Scripture says that God sets humanity in the Garden of Eden to “work it” and “take care of it.” These words are the Hebrew words avad and shamar, which actually mean “serve” and “watch over” or “protect.” What all of this means is that God’s very first calling for humanity was for us to be loving and just caretakers who serve creation, protect it, and responsibly work to support the flourishing of all of life on earth for His sake. This is one of the most fundamental aspects of what it means to be human. How are we doing with this? I invite you to prayerfully explore the role Biblical creation care plays in your heart, mind, and daily actions.
RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY:
“Surprised by Hope” by NT Wright - https://www.harpercollins.com/products/surprised-by-hope-n-t-wright?variant=32207610806306
3-part Biblical deep dive on the Christian calling to climate action – bit.ly/biblicalclimateaction
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