Fora

1990 Forum: Living Your Life as Vocation

Message to Individuals and Churches from the Participants

What are the reasons for Christians to take environmental action? What is so Christian about recycling, hiking, or saving whales? Isn't the earth created for us to use for our benefit? Aren't there concerns that are more important for Christians to pursue?

In Genesis 2:15, it says "The Lord God took the man in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." This is the language of stewardship, not plundering. God has created a bountiful earth, sufficient for all our needs and those of other creatures. But it was never meant to be exploited. I Timothy 6:6-8 exhorts us that "godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that."

God also delights in His creation. He has declared it as "good" in Genesis. God spends four chapters in Job describing the wonders of what He has wrought. It would do our Christian walks a lot of good to follow the example of our Biblical forebears to take sojourns into the wilderness to commune with the Creator and Sustainer of life.

At the root of our modern problem is creeping materialism; after all, I Timothy 6:9-10 continues "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Our problem is recognizing materialism in our own lives. We compare ourselves to our neighbors rather than to Biblical norms. We confuse our wants and desires with our needs. We are too much affected by our materialistic culture.

How often have we shut God out of our lives by busying ourselves with shopping for and playing with our expensive toys? We shut out the "still small voice of God" by plugging up our ears with the noise of radios, cassettes, CDs, and TVs. We encase ourselves in our air tight homes, offices, and vehicles. We busy our minds with fighting traffic, shopping, meaningless work, and trivial pursuits. By cutting back and living more simply, we suddenly make room for God. We make time to serve Him, we make silence to hear Him, we quiet our minds to meditate on His word.

By living simply, we are also being good stewards of God's creation. The fewer things we use, the less there is to throw away, reducing the cluttering up and poisoning of the environment. This also shows a Christian respect for life, not only for human life but also for the life of the rest of creation. For we are part of creation-- we were made from dust and to dust will we return. We are dependent on nature-- for clean water, clean air, healthy food, and a peaceful spirit. And nature is dependent on us-- for keeping it clean, healthy, and peaceful.

But, you may ask, what difference can I make? I'm only one person. God knows. Perhaps your neighbor will be affected. Perhaps your church. Perhaps that person who thought the New Age movement was the only way to practice religious environmentalism. Perhaps no one.

The most important reason is that it is the right thing, the Biblically normative thing to do. On the last day, when the 24 elders say that "the time has come for judging the dead... and for destroying those who destroy the earth," God will not ask you to account for your neighbor's actions but for your own. We must keep in mind James exhortation: "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" (James 4:19). By our faithful stewardship of God's creation we witness to the world that our faith is real, for "faith without deeds is useless" (James 2:20).

This message was prepared by a subcommittee, written by Nina Forsythe, and adopted unanimously by all Forum participants as a summary statement. This statement may be reproduced without restriction provided proper acknowledgement is given. For editorial changes and permission to rewrite, please contact Calvin B. DeWitt, Director.

For additional information on Au Sable Forum 1990 contact:
Peter Bakken, Coordinator of Outreach
Au Sable Institute
PO Box 260170
Madison, WI 53726
(608) 663-4610 Phone
(608) 663-4614 FAX
e-mail: outreach@ausable.org

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