"In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth." With those words the epic story we know as the Bible begins. Over the next two chapters we witness the unfolding of God's creative activity as God (in and through two different accounts) molds, shapes and fashions creation. As I noted in a previous article, most of us Presbyterians, understand these accounts to be more theological than literal. We understand that the earth is billions of years old and that its formation, along with the formation of the rest of the universe, was an evolutionary process that took place over a mind-boggling amount of time. So, while we believe that God was intimately involved with this creative process, we do not take literally the six, 24 hour days of creation, as do many more Biblically conservative Christians. While these differences might appear to be inconsequential (what difference does it make what we believe about the length of the creation period?) interestingly enough the way these stories are read (literally or theologically) directly impacts our lives in the United States and around the world.
Here is what I mean. Many of the churches and Christian communities that profess a belief in God as literally creating in seven days do not believe that creation is an object to be used (and sometimes abused) for the needs, wants and desires of humanity. This view comes out of a belief that humans were to subject creation to humanities will (see Genesis 1:26 in which human beings are given dominion over creation). In this view humanity was the highest end of all that God did and everything else was merely the "stage" upon which we were to play; a set for us to change at our will. This is why many conservative churches see the entire ecological movement as suspect and even sometime Satanic; because it appears to say the rest of creation is as important at humanity.
On the other hand the churches (I believe including ours) which see the epic narratives of Creation in the opening of Genesis as more theological than literal hold a much different view of our relationship with creation. Instead of subjecting creation to our whims and desires, we are to "steward" creation; caring for it as God's possession (see Genesis 2:15 where Adam is to keep creation as a gardener). This orientation brings about a completely different way of looking at our world. We see the world as belonging to God, not to us. We see that our task is to take care of this world in the same way a hired gardener would careful care for the garden of their employer. Humanity, while being very different from the rest of creation (we are those created in the image of God) is not "better" than everything else around us. We are simply different; different because of the role (stewards) that we have been assigned. Thus we generally support the ecological movement because it encourages us to care for God's creation.
So which of these views ought we to choose? I believe that the second view is appropriate for two reasons. First it affirms the Biblical assertion that this world is God's and not ours. The Psalmist tells us that "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness there of." (Psalm 24:1) The scriptures constantly remind us that God is the owner and we are the caretakers of this amazing blue-green planet. Second I believe this view is appropriate because God's plan is to renew this world. In Revelation 21:1 we read of a new heaven and a new earth (meaning not a new planet to replace the old one, but the renewal of the planet on which we live). This means for me is that since God loves this planet enough to renew it, we ought to love it that much as well. It means we ought to be working for the renewal of creation while we are here. My hope then is that we as a Christ centered community will care for creation not because it is the latest fad, but because the God who made us calls upon us to so do.
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