Creation Care
Many years ago, we walked out of a supermarket in Canada—our three-year-old was carrying a box of cereal, our six-year-old had a loaf of bread and a bag of oranges, and we carried vegetables, meat, eggs, milk, and a not-too-small watermelon. We declined plastic bags at the register—reusable tote bags weren’t common then. People probably thought we were odd, but we were proud of our choice. Refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle are the guidelines we try to follow.
It’s a common noted that there is plastic everywhere in Japan. Yet, that does not stop us from being intentional about not using not only plastic, but also any other unnecessary resources. When a 7-Eleven staff member asks us if we want a plastic bag, we can decline: “No thanks. We’ll carry the items as is.” When they offer wet wipes for our hands, we’ll politely refuse, but they’ll often reply, “It’s free.”
We say, “That’s okay—for protecting the environment.”
And they reply, “Ah, that’s nice.”
There is a famous saying, “We did not inherit the land from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” As Christ-followers, however, we want to protect the earth by following God’s command, “Have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28, ESV). Dominion means power, yet it also implies responsibility—to protect and preserve with a shepherd-heart like our God.
Are we our planet’s keepers? As William Dyrness, succinctly put it in Christianity Today, “Our problems with the environment are not merely technical; they are spiritual.” When God created everything, he said it was good. Since it is God’s good creation, we are to care for it. Creation care includes more than just reducing plastic. It’s also about other resources, such as paper, water, electricity, as well as people and poverty, etc..
Sadly, we haven’t been caring for God’s creation well. Our daily choices and attitudes are often driven by culture and convenience, not the Bible. But remember, Christians are the agents of the gospel, which can set people free from their sins. One day, the earth will be free too.
Loving God also means caring for his creation.
What is one intentional choice you can make today?
By William & Juliana, OMF missionaries
#OMFJapan #PrayforJapan
