The stereotype that in order to care for the earth you have to eat granola, wear dread-locks and participate in drum circles is a false dichotomy. Although this type of “environmentalist” does exist, everyone, including the Christians of St. John’s, has the potential to be good stewards of the earth. In fact, as Christians, we are called to be environmentalists in the most fundamental way possible.
According to the Scriptures, humans were given dominion over the earth as found in Genesis: “Then God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of heaven, and over every living thing that moves on the earth (Genesis, 1:28).” In this verse, God gives humans the capacity to rule over nature but we must look to the way God rules nature. In the Bible we see that God is the greatest conservationist, and that humans are meant to rule in God’s likeness.
The Bible is centered on the story of the Creator God and his Creation, and this forms the basis for Judeo-Christian thought. From a Christian perspective, the belief that humans are rulers does not mean nature is to be abused, rather we are rulers because we are given the job to govern everything else the way God does: justly, with mercy and love. We are meant to be stewards over the environment.
As stewards of the environment, living in the Saginaw Bay region, there are many small changes we can make that will over time make a big difference to the quality of our region. Aside from the common
changes like using cloth grocery bags, recycling, etc., perhaps a lesser known environmentally friendly act is using detergent, soap, and especially fertilizers that DO NOT contain phosphates. Increased phosphates to our water stimulate the growth of massive algal blooms. One source indicates that one pound of phosphates added to our water can stimulate growth of 500 pounds of algae. After an algal bloom dies off, the resulting detritus often washes ashore carrying high levels of E. coli. So, this Earth Day, let’s make a small change that over time will make a huge difference to the quality of our water of the Great Lakes.
Chrissy Cannon, author
Even if you have an aversion to granola and refuse to dread your hair, you can be a source of positive change for the world around you. As Christians, we are called to be to be good stewards of the earth as God intended.