Where would we be, if the Earth wasn’t what it is? With the evolution of science and human curiosity to discover the great beyond, many attempts have been made to find life on other planets. However, the Earth continues to be the only known planet that supports life as we know it.
22nd April is celebrated as ‘Earth Day’ worldwide, and Earth Day Network (EDN), the organization that leads this celebration, has chosen the theme ‘Restore Our Earth’ for 2021. This theme seems apt, considering the deplorable state our planet has come to, especially with the ongoing pandemic, which has highlighted the need to seriously reconsider our approach towards nature and its many resources that are on the verge of depletion. Today, caring for the environment is undoubtedly one of the most pressing concerns requiring our attention.
The Bible, and the worldview that it inspires, gives us a strong basis and motivation to care for nature. It tells us that God put much intricate thought into creating the atmosphere, land, the sea and all the beautiful beings found therein.
Every atom or cell testifies of a thoughtful design by an all-knowing and all-powerful God. Even a lot of the latest scientific discoveries point to the improbability of life, with all its complexities, having come out of an “accidental collocation of atoms,” as Bertrand Russell put it.
There are strong reasons to believe that all life on earth is a result of intelligent design, and probably the biggest testament to such a design is human life itself. The Bible further says that God, the Designer, created human beings as the ‘crown of His creation’, so that they could have an intimate relationship with Him and be stewards, or caretakers, of the rest of His creation.
Stewards can certainly enjoy the goodness that comes from nature, but their calling is to love and preserve it as God Himself does, and to bring the best out of it – cause it to flourish. Such was the harmonious world envisioned by God.
Unfortunately, we are also told that humanity came into hostility with nature because of a rupture in their relationship with the Creator Himself.
We know that it is about time that we reverse this hostility, and the sheer greed by which we have devastated our environment. This year, as we celebrate Earth Day, it may be worthwhile to listen to the reminder that the Bible gives us; that the key to ‘Restore our Earth’ may lie in a restoration of our relationship with the Creator of this Earth.
