Thanks, Sandra, for your voice & words which push me into Jesus, the Jesus who taught me that it is people that I must fight for first, die for first, as He did.
Read article here.
And here's my thoughts:
Sandra, thank you for your eloquent thoughts on the beauty of my Father's World. We are blessed to live in this Great Beauty. I too come from a family that appreciates the theology and the biology that is our human existence. I have the gift of coming from a family focused on HEAVEN and things that last: people, the Bible, and my Jesus.
Clarify?
First: "each of us can enter into this practice of conservation believing that we can be part of tangible renewal. For some, it might take the shape of educating or gardening..."
What renewal do you think Jesus came to bring? Is it not the Romans 12:1 renewal of the mind? Where does, when speaking of the creation, does God mandate anything but the "be fruitful and multiply" of Genesis 1:28? Does God not judge our evil against EACH OTHER with far greater grief and consequences than our evil against his temporal planet? Should we as believers be advocating with ALL OUR BEINGS the care of the most beautiful creation, humans? Yes, STEWARD wisely, but oh so diligently steward HUMAN RIGHTS and by giving humans freedom and justice, God will take care of his earth, right?
When you speak of loving what God loves, my God loves PEOPLE, HUMANS, HIS IMAGE-BEARERS, and we know that ultimately, "The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare." (2 Peter 3:10)
How can you urge Christians to become scientists for any other reason than saving HUMAN BEINGS when we know that everything else will be burned up, but that human souls last forever? And, yes, of course, by urging "creation care" we can help humans see the gospel, but I think it can become a very dangerous road with the tempermate of naturalistic, Darwinian, secular environmentalism. OH, be careful for what does light have to do with darkness?
Second: "Together we multiply our potential for sustainability..." What exactly do you mean? The sustainability my God loves in the church, desperately focused on preaching the gospel, the temporality of this wicked planet, and the reality of a NEW HEAVEN and NEW EARTH. God sustains, right? And what does this "sustainability" agenda many governments have truly have to do with the gospel? Can people not come to know Jesus regardless of if the earth is perishing?
Lastly: "This is the beginning of care and conversation, whether it's about protecting dolphins, or about the community garden, or about policy making on Capitol Hill."
As you begin, I urge you to please not forget that in God's book, the Bible, PEOPLE are always first! People! Not dolphins. The dolphins don't have souls, but the people do. And the darkness of the lies of overpopulation and forced contraception are rampant and may we as the church, people who know God, become the greatest advocates for God's greatest creation. May your community garden's purpose be to feed HUNGRY PEOPLE and may your advocacy on capitol hill be to speak for FORGOTTEN PEOPLE (e.g. PREBORNS and the oppression of those under Islam/Communism/Despotism). Yes, many innocent animals and species have died under my watch as God's creation-keeper, but more tragically, in my lifetime over 24 million American babies have been aborted. I'm sorry, Lord, that I have not cared for your creation as I ought!
In our creation care, we must care for the most precious creation FIRST, and as we focus on the beautiful human beings, I do believe the NEW earth and NEW heavenwill get more beautiful as heaven becomes fuller with human souls, all the while knowing this beautiful earth is SOON TO BURN. May it burn sooner so Jesus comes more quickly!
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| Because peeps matter most. |
