Shades of Green
The old gnostics treated the material as inherently bad and the immaterial as inherently good. The new gnostics do the same, but in a very gospel-centered way. I was talking recently with a friend about our interactions with people who have watched a particular documentary and take its contents as Scripture. She said that she had friends who had become evangelistic about this movie. We reflected on how people tend to assume that what they happen to believe about the world is consistent with the Bible. All truth is God’s truth and all that.
One area where this is especially obvious is in how people think of our environment. Some people think that the problem is man. These people think that Fall came with the sin of man, but with the creation of man. Humanity is, at bottom, a negative force and the best we can do is minimize our impact. Others think that the problem is in the essence of the creation. The world is going to burn away someday (soon, if we’re lucky), so who cares what we do? In this scheme any action of man is justifiable. One group tends to talk about being stewards of creation. The other tends to talk about man’s dominion over creation. They both have their verses.
Our task, however, is not to read Bible verses, but to read the whole Bible. Let’s look at the idea of stewardship. I realize that Jesus didn’t have environmental concerns in mind when he gave this parable, but I believe the principles here are relevant.
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Where did we get the idea that stewardship involved doing as little as possible with the things God has given? I will submit that we did not get it from Jesus. Next, let’s look at the idea of dominion.
And God blessed [Adam and Eve], and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
The Bible talks about stewardship and dominion. We are not at liberty to pick just one. So the whole earth is God’s and we ought to treat it well. But it’s also truth that the whole earth is ours. To be a modern environmentalist is to idolize the gift. To be a modern apathete is to exploit the gift. Both dishonor the Giver. It is as if God gave us a set of paints. Some of us want to keep the paints in the bottles so as to not make too big a mess. Others of us want to squirt the paints on the carpet and call it ‘using our gift.’ I say we take what we have been given and make something pretty.