After blessed Easter Meetings, the Divisional Men’s Ministry organised a hike up Table Mountain on Easter Monday, with the Territorial Commander as our guest. Although the hike was strenuous at times, it was a wonderful time of fellowship and fun, walking through nature and surrounded by the spectacular beauty of the Cape. One time, whilst we were taking a break, some other hikers came by and gave us some rubbish that one of us had dropped. To be honest, this was a little embarrassing, as here we were in a National Park, and we had been caught littering and someone else had to pick it up.
Rubbish does not just disappear. All our plastic, all the trash we throw away ends up somewhere, from expanding landfills to the plastic islands suffocating the oceans, ultimately impacting our environment on an unprecedented scale. At the same time, humanity’s impact through the consumption of fossil fuels and other pollutants not only affect our personal health daily but is causing significant climate change, that will impact us for millennia to come.
What is our responsibility as Christians, as Salvationists regarding the environment? Do we ignore the problem, or live recklessly, flippantly saying that one day Jesus will return and bring a new heaven and earth? Lord, forbid!
Our second doctrine states ‘We believe that there is only one God, who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver and Governor of all things and who is the only proper object of religious worship.’ Understanding that God is the creator, preserver, and governor of the universe and continues to care for his creation, don’t we as his children have the same responsibility?
At the creation of the world, Genesis repeatedly tells us ‘God looked over everything he had made, it was so good, so very good…’ Genesis 1:31. At the same time God entrusts the rule and stewardship of creation to humanity, a responsibility that has never been taken away.
It’s a responsibility we all need to take ownership of…
How can we be good stewards of God’s creation, of this beautiful earth we’ve been given? Well, it is a responsibility we all need to take ownership of, from caring for the animals and plants in our environment to reducing our impact through pollution. Here are some practical responses that The Salvation Army is encouraging worldwide, what can you do?
- Raise awareness of our environmental impact and how we can reduce this.
- Provide Biblically-sound teaching on how we can be better stewards of the environment and its resources.
- Encouraging Salvationists to consider a vocation in environmental science.
- Enacting sound environmental policies and practices within The Salvation Army,
- Providing practical care for those who are impacted by adverse or damaging environmental situations and advocating with them for positive change and environmental justice.
- Through our practice, trying to be an example to others within our sphere of influence.
Perhaps for you and me right now, we can start as simple as reducing, reusing, and recycling.
In partnership with God and for the glory of our Father and his creation, for the future of our children, and in witness to God’s Kingdom, let us all take up the baton of responsibility of caring for this, our earth.