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 Jonathan Merritt author of Green Like God: Unlocking the Divine Plan for Our Planet (FaithWords, April 21, 2010, $16.99 hardcover), speaks about Christianity and the environment.
How is creation care tied to our love for God?
"One of the ways we show our love for God is through obedience. God has mandated that we care for creation because he has buried the revelation of His attributes within it and because people that God loves depend on it. Another way we show our love for God is by loving what God loves. The Psalmist tells us that 'God is loving toward all that He has made.' If we love God, shouldn't we mirror this? No one perhaps summarizes these ideas better than Francis Schaeffer, who wrote the following in Pollution and the Death of Man: 'If I love the Lover, I love what the Lover has made'." Do you think Christians have become more aware of creation care in the past few years?
"Definitely. Just take a look at the number of books being published now by Christians on this subject compared with 20 years ago. We now have a robust corpus on which to construct a solid theological and practical foundation for creation care. What a blessing it is to be able to stand on the shoulders of thinkers like John Stott, Alister McGrath, Calvin Dewitt, Matthew and Nancy Sleeth and others. These thought leaders are reawakening Christian communities to the need to live out the Gospel by obeying the Bible's creation mandates and caring for 'the least of these'." What do you think some of the hesitancies have been/are?
"Some people hesitate to embrace our responsibility to steward the earth because environmentalism is perceived as a 'liberal' issue. In Green Like God, I illustrate how we can develop uniquely Christian solutions to our world's problems that look less like Al Gore and more like Jesus Christ." What trends give you hope for the future?
"I am so encouraged by the innovative and courageous initiatives being undertaken by missionaries, churches, and faith communities around the world. I've been bombarded with stories of Christians who've embraced the love for God and love for people promoted by the Bible and embodied in life of Jesus. I share a few of these in my book. God is on the move, and God's people are on the move."
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