Today is Earth Day.
Confession: I’m not often a big observer of days, holidays and the like. I mean, I enjoy celebrations and special occasions, but I don’t often put a lot of stake into a specific day. For example: Christmas is fun but if I get together with my kiddos on a different day to exchange gifts, I’m okay with that. As a Jesus-follower, the meaning behind Christmas is something I carry in my heart every day, not just once a year.
So today being Earth Day, I give it a nod. But I try to celebrate it every day of the year.
Nevertheless, in honor of Earth Day, I’ll share a few photos of nature and some of my thoughts on caring for this world. You might agree. You might disagree. But please believe my motivation is simply this: We have a wonderfully beautiful, fragile, resilient, and complicated world. If we don’t each do our part to care for it, who will?
This morning I was reading and meditating on scriptures and other writings about the earth. Here are my journal notes:
God gave humans the task of taking care of creation.
“You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority—the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents.” —Psalms 8:6-8
I cannot control others where this (or anything) is concerned. But I can do my part. I know I live in a consumer-based and progressive society. We use and misuse and waste so much. I am not guilt-free in all of it! But I am working on doing better where consumerism is concerned. I want to waste less, care for the earth more.
Earth is a gift that comes with responsibility. Great and powerful responsibility. It is to care for the world and all that is in it. The animals need humans to do the right thing! All of nature needs humans to do the right thing!
“Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.’” —Genesis 1:26
“The Eternal God placed the newly made man in the garden of Eden in order to work the ground and care for it.” —Genesis 2:15
“The heavens belong to the Lord, but he has given the earth to all humanity.” —Psalm 115:16
God owns the earth. Humans simply take care of it (or not).
Favorite Quote: “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”
The source of the above quote is debated. Chief Seattle, Native American, Oscar Wilde, Emerson … no matter who said it first, I love the quote! It reminds me that I have an impact on the future of the earth and what I do will impact future generations. It is my inspiration to work toward taking better care of the earth that was created by and is still owned by God. People are commissioned to care for the planet on which we live!
How are we doing?
