Earth Care: The Christian Challenge of Caring for the Earth

Throughout our history, some have looked after their environment with great care making sure that they could pass their land on to their children and grandchildren in even better shape than they received it. Others have exploited their environment for their own ends without thinking of the future consequences, or have been polluters of the air, the land or the seas doing damage which in some cases has been irreversible. We are aware of the contaminated land and rivers which remain a legacy of our industrial revolution.

The relationship between us and the Earth which is often presented is one of stewardship. That we are stewards of creation brings in fundamentally the notion of responsibility, first to God as the one whose stewards we are - we are to look after the Earth, not as we please, but as God wants it looked after. Second, we have responsibility to the rest of creation as ones who stand in the place of God.

Within creation there is enormous potential to assist us in the task; the pursuit of scientific knowledge and the application of technology are an essential part of our stewardship. A clear understanding of the responsibilities we have been given coupled with trust in God’s presence and trustworthiness is the mixture that makes stewardship both exciting and challenging.