What is Creation Care?
And why does it matter to me as a Christian?
Creation Care shifts our perspective away from an anthropocentric worldview, to a deocentric (God-centred) one - in otherwords, we cease seeing humanity as the center of things, and rightly place God there instead. This requires us to humble ourselves and recognize our rightful place amongst God’s Creation, instead of placing ourselves on the throne.
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The earth has intrinsic value - it is valued by God, because He made it an owns it. When God created Adam, He put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. The same verbs – “work” and “take care of” – are used in Numbers to describe sacred service. This suggests that the garden is portrayed as sacred, and the tasks given to Adam are of priestly nature – he is thus caring for sacred space.
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In otherwords, it was part of God’s plan for humans to look after the earth as a sacred duty.
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We define Creation Care as:
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Protecting all of God's creation, including our earth and everything that lives on it
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The ministry of reconciliation between humanity and the rest of creation
While our actions may overlap with ecocentrism, our focus is at its root on God (and our rightful place as parts of His creation rather than owners of it), and not solely on elevating the status of the natural world.
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Why is Creation Care important to Christians?
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Imagine that you've made something you're very pleased with. You put a lot of care in perfecting all the details, and you love it very much. So you decide to entrust the care of this to someone you are in a loving relationship with and ask them to take care of it. Yet, they've chosen to neglect it, or worse, to destroy it as you watch! How would you feel then?
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Similarly, God has entrusted us with the duty to care for and steward His creation as He does. Above all else, we are called to love God with everything we are. When we care for creation, it reflects our love for God through our obedience. Creation care matters because it matters to God.
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Caring for creation is the outward expression of the restoration God hopes for His entire creation - the reconciliation between humanity and earth. By putting right the relationships that we have with the rest of creation, we are taking part in Christ's redemptive work here on Earth. Environmental crises are just a reflection of the broken relationship between us and the natural world, which is a stark contrast to what God intended it to be before The Fall. Essentially, the destruction and suffering we see today reflect a deeper underlying issue at its root - sin.
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Above all else, we are called to love God with everything we are, and to love others as ourselves. When we care for creation, it reflects our love for God and His creation: the humans, the plants, and the animals that inhabit our planet.
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So... What can I do now?
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Mainly, there are three ways: appreciate, educate, and act.
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In order for us to internalise our duty to care for creation, we need to first get in touch with it. You don't have to take long walks in the reserves to do that, but just look up - look at the beautiful sky, the plants around you, or the birds that you hear along your daily commute. Have you ever wondered what they are? Well, go find out!
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Once you have, you can start educating people around you about them and get them interested! Share with them about the amazing Creator that intricately designed the world we live in, and why they too should also care for creation.
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Lastly, you can start to lead a simpler lifestyle. Start small, and do more once it's become a habit. It can be uncomfortable at the start, but when we learn to better steward what God has given us, and to not live lives of greed and excess, our spiritual lives will also be enriched.
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References: https://saltandlight.sg/faith/the-great-commandment-includes-creation-care/