The Earth Is Not Ours to Destroy

...The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it.  The world and all its people belong to him.  (Psalm 24:1)

God created a universe filled with spectacular wonders.  However, the crown jewel is a relatively small green and blue marble we call Earth.  It is located in the Goldilocks zone of a small star which we call our sun; he placed our celestial home at distance where it is not too hot or too cold for our fragile bodies.  He shaped the Earth so that we, his blessed and highly favored creations, can hurl through space surrounded by stunning beauty with a multitude of interesting places to explore.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”   (Genesis 1:26)

I think many of us have forgotten how humans are made after the likeness of God.  His power and dominion grow out of his consummate consideration, kindness, and sense of responsibility.  We must be like him.  The Earth belongs to God alone.  The Earth is a blessing, but it is not a gift.  He graciously allows us to be stewards of such a priceless possession.  This means we must actively and wisely direct affairs, in his name, so that everyone and everything living thing on this gloriously green planet is protected from harm.  

Humankind has fallen short and betrayed God's trust.  There are clear signs of how we have abused our power.  There are climate changes; ice caps are melting and ocean levels are rising.  We continue to push animal to the brink of extinction because we need more space or more tusks and horns.  We have poisoned the land, the air, and the oceans with a multitude of chemical, byproducts of unfettered commerce.  

Do we really want our children to remember us as immature and cruel parents who were unwilling to be good managers of the Earth?  Let's make sure they get to see glimpses of Eden.  We must find ways, starting today, to stop destroying what was never ours to neglect.