By Thomas Sheffield
Earth Day is happening again this year!!! It is happening on Sunday April 22. Being a good steward of the earth is a spiritual practice. The Bible speaks to environmental stewardship. Genesis 2:15 tells us why God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, so he will work it and take care of it. This charge for Adam is really a charge for us all and is never revoked. Unfortunately, our government, run by “Christians”, is not following this scripture. Our leaders believe it is ok to destroy the earth, deny climate change and our part in it, for financial gain. Our communities suffer the most from environmental issues and take the longer to recover from it.
Our government and society are very hypocritical. We are quick to bomb Syria for using poison on innocent women and children. Meanwhile the governor in Michigan is still in charge after the poisoning of innocent men, women and children in Flint The government is worried about Islamic Extremist Terrorism but could care less about Christian Extremist abuse of the planet. Scott Pruitt and his EPA seem to be doing everything but protecting the environment. This is why Earth Day is important. It brings subjects like environmental justice to light. Pollution and Climate Change are not just tree hugger issues, but they are human rights issues and national security issues.
Earth Day builds community activism and reconnects us to the awareness of how we treat the earth. The earth’s climate is changing. Overall, temperatures are rising, snow and rainfall patterns are shifting and more extreme climate events like hurricanes, record high temperatures and record amounts of snowfalls are already happening. These events are having a direct effect on not only our health, but our money. There are more heat related deaths in the summer and it seems the ragweed pollen season is longer and more severe. When we are sick, we cannot work or pay more for health care.
What can we do to get more environmental justice? I have been stressing the importance of letting your voice be heard by voting. Next, we must keep those elected officials accountable for environmental stewardship. We must also keep voting with another powerful tool, our dollar. Buy local and support companies that support us. Finally, let’s bring environmental stewardship home and make sure you do what you can to protect the earth. Become more mindful of what you do with your waste. Practice recycling and proper waste disposal. I also suggest you bring the subject up to your church pastor. Ask them to do right by the planet and lead the church toward a mission that includes environmental stewardship. Let’s make Earth Day 2018 a pivotal time for our community to bring glory to God by doing what He commanded.
If these things inspire you, and you need help to learn how to do more, please feel free to contact me thomsustainableconsulting@gmail.com or you can follow me on Twitter @tcsheff. #Resist #Wordsactionchange
