In defense of environmentalism

Recently in popular culture, it has become increasingly trendy to "go green." Hippies feel it is their duty to take care of Mother Earth, while others just join in for the cool grocery bags (myself included). On the other side of the spectrum, I've heard many Christians voice their disgust with Al Gore and "so-called" Global Warming.

While reading through Romans today I got a little bit of insight about what God's heart might be in regards to all this. In Romans 8 Paul is discussing the future glory that we will receive as believers. He goes on to describe creation:

"Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay." (Rom. 8: 20-21)

Creation obviously is living after the fall, so is not as it was meant to be, but it is groaning in anticipation of the day when all will be restored. As members of the Kingdom of God, we are called to advance God's kingdom and bring heaven to earth. We've been taught that advancing the Kingdom of God means caring for the poor, spreading the news about Christ, freeing the oppressed. In other words, it is our calling to bring heaven to earth; we are to make earth more like it is in heaven.

So if part of the coming of Christ includes the restoration of the earth, isn't this part of the Kingdom of God? And if we are to be spreading the Kingdom, shouldn't we be restoring the earth?

A few churches have decided that the answer to those questions is yes. Imago Dei Community in Portland, Oregon takes environmentalism very seriously and even sees it as an act of worship. (Mind you, they do live in Portland so they have no other choice).

Just some thoughts to ponder... even if you don't decide environmentalism is for you, why not buy a nifty one of these?!