I had conversation a few months ago with a family member. She was frustrated that APU, and other Christian communities have become so concerned about "going green," and felt that it was a distraction from, I suppose, what Christians "should" be spending their time doing. I think this is an inconsiderate approach, and an ultra-conservative viewpoint that needs to be exposed. I believe that Going Green is actually an essential responsibility of Christians, and I want to say exactly why.
I'd like to begin with a confession. I'm no "tree-hugger" or "eco-hero" and much of my life is not eco-friendly by any means. I also work for Starbucks, a corporation which, I can say firsthand, generates an immense amount of garbage and "wastes" an immense amount of resources. That being said, I'd like to make some general points in this debate.
First off, let's be honest. The Christian community, at large, has until recently almost entirely ignored the environmental crisis which the world, and particularly America, is in today. As a result, the environmental movement has become increasingly non-religious, and perhaps even "pagan." This is a serious problem. Since non-religious people are the ones that have seemed to care most about the environmental issues we face, I think the Church at large has now been classified as dispassionate and insensitive. The answer then, is not to continue walking a path of insensitivity, but to acknowledge our mistake and jump on board with the physical restoration of this world, which I believe is a God-given responsibility (citation: the whole Pentateuch?).
The reason the environment, the world, God's wondrous and indescribable creation is important is because God granted humanity rulership over the physical state of this earth. Just like any other issue, we have been allowed to destroy the physical world with our inherent sin-natures. Just as we have been allowed to destroy the world in many ways, we are allowed to "fix it" or at least slow down natural processes that result from mass industrialization and the over-commuting culture of America. I don't think being "eco-friendly" needs to be "difficult." In fact the only point I want to make with regard to our response is a very simple and easily applied statement: Why not?
Why not carry some things in your backpack instead of in a plastic bag?
Why not buy a Toyota Prius (sp?) instead of a Suburban?
Why not re-use bags you accumulate from shopping?
Why not recycle cans?
Why not sort recyclable materials?
Why not throw your trash in a "garbage receptacle" instead of on the ground?
Why not carpool instead of "meeting people there"?
It's not hard to LISTEN to environmentalists, heed scientific warnings about the environment, and just take opportunities to do the MORAL thing when it comes to the once-beautiful, now-not-so-much, world in which we live. We don't have to become activists, but we can do the simple things and at least ENCOURAGE and SUPPORT the activists.
We have an opportunity, that is, the Christian church at large, to combat not only environmental issues, but also to combat a frustration against the church.
Why not take advantage of that opportunity?
