“The Earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1).
This past week – as I drove on Tallulah Road – I marveled at the beauty of God’s creation. I wanted others to be able to see the trees, mountains and wonderful colors of the leaves.
But then it struck me how many places on Earth do not have this blessing, both because of geography and because of what we have done to creation.
I thought of the people in California who have suffered drought, deadly fires, flooding and devastation. Closer to home, the flooding in Haywood County – and the surrounding areas – caused death and destruction. In former days, people would have thought the people there had sinned or done something wrong.
What has caused the droughts and flooding is sin: the sin of not caring for God’s creation.
God created all things seen and unseen, and called them good, and it is very good. God put those made in God’s image, humanity to care for and be good stewards of creation. This included the earth and God’s creation is in crisis. We have neglected our duties and responsibilities and caused great harm.
I remember being told that on the day of the Lord, the Earth would be destroyed by fire. As our world gets hotter, are we hastening the day by the damage we are doing to creation?
Many of the world’s leaders are gathered in Glasgow for the United Nations Climate Change Conference to unite the world to tackle climate change. The hope is that all countries understand only by working together can we slow – or even stop – the damage we are doing.
Pope Francis spoke to the leaders and urged for radical action and said they must “provide effective responses’’ to the crisis. The Pope – along with other Christian and religious leaders – sent a joint appeal to the leaders.They promised to do their part and lead their members to be more respectful of creation and work to save the Earth.
The appeal stated, “We have inherited a garden; we must not leave a desert to our children.”
Climate scientists debate if we have reached the point of no return. Have we done so much damage that the effects are irreversible? I pray not. If future generations are to enjoy the beauty of creation, it is up to us to make the changes for the better.
How do we work together to care for creation? First, by acknowledging the need to be less dependent on fossil fuels and work to harness greener energy. God has created renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind power. This can provide clean energy that slows climate change and in many instances, cost much less.
If we join together – to honor the trust God put in us by caring for creation – we can slow the effects of climate change.
Hopefully, future generations will enjoy the beautiful fall colors we experience in Graham County.
Eric Reece is the faith columnist for The Graham Star and is pastor of Robbinsville United Methodist Church. He can be reached via email, ereece@wnccumc.net.