I am pleased to post this contribution to the Nativity Caring for Creation blog from Dargan Gilmore.
It is an election year, and that means that candidates and their super-PACs are hard at work trying to polarize the issues. Instead of trying to bring people together, it always seems that we are being asked to choose a side. The much-debated concept of “climate change” is one of these issues. The political powers at work insist that we believe in it, or not. There is no common ground. In the aftermath of all of this line-drawing, I think a lot of people give up trying to decide what is right. This leads to apathy, and inaction.
I think the people that demand that we choose a side on climate change are missing the point. Earth — God’s beautiful creation — is polluted. Our air quality is poor and in some areas, dangerous. Our streams are filled with trash. Our water is undrinkable in areas. Our oceans filled with plastic, and our landfills are overflowing. Through these numerous acts of pollution, we poison the very creation that God made in his own image — ourselves.
Instead of debating whether climate change exists, let’s find something we can agree upon and take action: The earth is polluted, and getting worse each year. The 7.4 billion people living on God’s earth owe it to their children to leave the world in a better place than they found it. Through thoughtful stewardship, rather than abuse of the Earth, we not only glorify God’s creation, but we also help ourselves and our children.
April 22nd is Earth Day — a time to celebrate God’s beautiful work. Environmental Stewardship at Nativity has put together several events during the month of April to give you some tools to help lessen your own individual impact on the planet. Working alone, it is hard to imagine having any impact on a problem so vast. But if the 7.4 billion people of God’s creation could find a way to come together, instead of finding ways to divide themselves, just imagine how much we could do.
Dargan Gilmore