By Thomas Sheffield
The holiday season forces us to reflect. We get to see how far we have come and get an idea of where we are going. Personally, I also reflect on the blessings I have received and I think of ways I could have been a better steward of those blessings. Perhaps the best blessings are the ones we take for granted. Clean air, clean water, and a wonderful planet that sustains life are huge blessings of which we must tend.
I had the pleasure of reading a book called “Green Like God” by Jonathan Merritt. Jonathan Merritt is an award winning religion writer for Religion News Service. This book illustrates how God cares for us and biblically cares for His planet. I highly recommend it to all. The book is full of beautiful insights and awakens us to the wonderful blessings we currently have.
The portion of the book that I found very interesting discusses the question of dominion. The Bible teaches us that we are to have dominion over the earth. Dominion means power to rule according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. However, dominion is also described as to work or tend. The Bible also teaches us that the earth belongs to God and everything in it. We are charged to care for the earth for Him.
It appears businesses understand how important and profitable sustainability is while our churches and religious institutions continue to miss out. Many businesses have sustainability plans and even publish their good works on their web sites because they understand consumers have become concerned about environmental stewardship. However, our religious institutions are missing out on opportunities to become examples on how it is our duty to be better stewards of the earth. They seem to lack the pressure that shareholders and investors put on the business community to add value and quality to our planet and to our communities instead of only benefitting themselves. If churches don’t invest in, create and model Jesus’ abundant life, what will become of religion?
Jesus came and changed the world forever. He came so that we would have a more intimate relationship with God and His creation. If you are a person of faith, I challenge you to display it by being a better steward of the environment. I challenge you to find joy, peace and love by creating an abundant life not just by planting trees but by planting the best trees, native to the community. I challenge you to eliminate plastic waste and choose local products that create value. I challenge you to choose to buy or grow local food. The best is yet to come. Together we can make a real difference and bring better value to the communities in which we live.
If these things inspire you, and you need help to learn how to do more, please feel free to contact me thomsustainableconsulting@gmail.com. Or you can follow me on Twitter @tcsheff.