Climate Change. It seems to me that when you say those two words, everyone has something to say about it. Some call for urgent action, some deny that it is a problem, and some just don’t care. I think what amazes me the most is the Christian response to it that I have witnessed. Although it seems that more and more Christians are recognizing that it is an issue to our world today, many still look at it like it is some liberal invention or some scientific ploy. Even when study after study comes out showing the effects on our planet and the ways in which our activity is causing that, many Christians still look the other way.
I just read an article on newest UN report on climate change, and it says that urgent action is needed to combat climate change. This is not something that was written by some crazy environmentalist, but by was contributed to by 2500 scientists. That’s quite a few. It also says that it is not completely hopeless, and that there are real and affordable ways to combat climate change.
As Christians, we must be on the forefront of doing this. We are called to be stewards of this earth that God made. We cannot be ok with the destruction of the environment. How we treat creation shows how we feel about its creator. We see in scripture that all of creation testifies to the glory of God (Psalm 19, Romans 1), yet Christians today often treat the non-human aspect of creation as unimportant. How can we take so lightly the destruction of something that shows the glory of God? I personally believe that God is more clearly seen in an amazing sunset or the view from a mountaintop than in a well-reasoned philosophical argument. I believe that we must continually strive to preserve the beauty and the wonder of the natural world, and in doing so we are preserving that which show the glory of God.
So let’s learn about climate change, not just assume things. Let’s read about the little things we can do to help. Let’s be willing to work with non-Christian group to combat climate change. And also let us pray for guidance and wisdom, so that in whatever we, be it recycling or saving the rain forest, God is seen and glorified.
Great points! I have been interested in this sort of thing myself and often have to doge the sterotypes that are associated with ecological endeavors. Your blog looks great too, though as the Catholic Coffee Drinker I must wonder what is with Oregon Christians and Coffee?