The link at the bottom of this post, called Exodus From The Land, was written by Barbara Kingsolver Inward/Outward, and was sent to me by Heidi Turner.
Again, the creational view that should enliven our theology and daily practice with care for the world around us, in a consumer age, is hard won in us. We grow up, breathing in waters that tell us to use the earth without thought of replenishment, then have that view reinforced with faith views that tell us it will all burn anyway, and by the time we’re done, we’re brainwashed into believing that it is a small thing to trash the world – since we’re nearing the end of the age.
I must still pursue the case of human life (hunger, poverty, justice, etc.) with my own fuller energies before putting those energies fully into the case of our earth stewardship problems, but as for my daily steps, my wife is helping me to regard the environment we call the land of our sojourn with care and thoughtfulness.
I.e. We choose to make our new deck (replacing the rotted cedar one) out of cedar again, in deference to the land.
I want my children to think like this because its the normal way they do life; not because earthcare is a novelty. It is exceedingly biblical to think this way; and other cultures of the world have far outshon western culture in the way they’ve cared for creation in our generation.
