What a fantastic portion of scripture we were presented on Sunday. The Rev’d John Townsend preached on Colossians 1:15-20 and spoke about the fact that Jesus is:

• Supreme in Revelation
• Supreme in Creation
• Supreme in Reconciliation

John is from an organisation called A Rocha (www.arocha.org) and he presented to us the fact that as Jesus is the agent and goal of all creation and that we who love and serve Jesus have a responsibility to care and tend the world in which we live.

We are faced today by many calls to look after the world in which we live, and be environmentally friendly. What is the Christian response to this?

There are some who say that we should not worry about the earth, as God is in heaven and that is where we will be eventually as well. Others would say that as Christians we should worry about spiritual things and not material things. Yet others have a pessimistic view about the future, and that “we are all doomed” and nothing that we can do will stop this.

Whilst there may be an element of truth in each of these positions, we cannot get away from the fact that one of the accepted marks of mission[1] for the Christian church states:

–      To strive to safeguard the integrity if creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

This purpose was established at the beginning of time in the Garden of Eden when God blessed humankind and said:

 “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Genesis 1:28 (NIV)

And later in chapter two:

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Genesis 2:15 (NIV)

Chris Wright says in his book “The Mission of God”

 “humanity was put on the earth with a mission – to rule over, to keep and to care for the rest of creation. This enables us to see ecological concern and action as a valid part of biblical Christian mission …”[2]

We have been given this world for our enjoyment and care. We are the stewards of God in all of creation. We should strive to do all that we can as individuals and as a community of believers to safeguard creation and sustain the environment in which we live. Therefore, let us joyfully and worshipfully fulfil our purpose and play our part in caring for His creation in obedience to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the creator and sustainer of all things.

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