Stewards of the Earth

As humans, we are all stewards of the earth. What is it about man, that makes us that much more responsible for the fate of our planet than any other creature that walks the earth? For one thing, we are the only ones intelligent enough to discern actions which harm the earth from the actions which do not. But more importantly, we have a greater effect on our planet than any creature who has ever roamed it in its 4.5 billion years of existence. Never before has one creature held such power – the power to create lakes, the power to cut down an entire forest, the power to shape the land in such a way as we see fit. We hold the power to completely obliterate the planet and all its life. It is not something to take lightly.

How can we even be trusted with that sort of power? Perhaps we can't, as even today we continue to abuse it. We rape the land of all of its resources and leave the lush forests barren and gray. We pollute the lungs of our children with poisonous air. We betray God's trust in us to take care of our own home.

Now some fools may say, "God entrusted us with the planet and all of it's resources. Clearly, anything that comes from the earth is there for us to use." This may be true to a degree; however, just because a resource exists doesn't mean that we're allowed to abuse it. An animal's pelt may keep us warm, but it doesn't mean we have the right to hunt it to extinction and completely wipe out one of God's great creations. In much the same way, the ability to use a resource does not give us the right to abuse it. Can we really not go a single day without the comforts we have become so accustomed to? Would people allow their homes to be a little warmer in the summer if they knew it would prevent their children from boiling in the future?

Every year, we penetrate the earth deeper and more violently for our own pleasure. We violate the planet, slowly destroying it year by year, sucking it dry as it withers away beneath our feet. We can hear its moans of pain as it begs for mercy. The air becomes thick with smog, choking off the life from the animals, plants, and humans. The ice caps melt as the surface of the earth heats up slowly. The winds change wildly as planet gives birth to powerful storms.

Is this what God had in mind for the planet? To watch it die a slow, painful death at the hands of his own creation? We have a responsibility to take care of our home – for ourselves, for the creatures of the earth, for our children and our children's children. We are the only ones that can reverse the damage, before it's too late. This is perhaps the greatest challenge for humanity, a true test of our worthiness to call the earth home. Through God's grace, perhaps we can finally come together for this common goal. Perhaps this will be the force that unites us all. The force that brings together every faction of mankind from every background. The force that transcends all of our differences and petty squabbles.