This is My Father's
World
Thoughts on the Enjoyment
and Stewardship of God's Creation
"Now if I believe in God's Son and
remember that He became man, all creatures will appear a
hundred times more beautiful to me than before. Then I
will properly appreciate the sun, the moon, the stars,
trees, apples, as I reflect that He is Lord over all
things."
Martin Luther (1483-1546),
founder of the German Reformation;
from a sermon on the Gospel of John
"Let him who possesses a field, so
partake of its yearly fruits, that he may not suffer the
ground to be injured by his negligence, but let him
endeavor to hand it down to posterity as he received it,
or even better cultivated. Let him so feed on its fruits,
that he neither dissipates it by luxury, nor permits it
to be marred or milled by neglect .... Let every one
regard himself as the steward of God in all things which
he possesses."
John Calvin (1509-1564),
reformer, theologian;
from a commentary on Genesis 2:15
"We have shown that the Son of God
created the world for this very end, to communicate
Himself in an image of His own excellency... So that when
we are delighted with flowery meadows and gentle breezes
of wind, we may consider that we see only the emanations
of the sweet benevolence of Jesus Christ. When we behold
the fragrant rose and lily, we see His love and purity.
So the green trees and fields, and singing of birds, are
the emanations of His infinite joy and benignity. The
easiness and naturalness of trees and vines are shadows
of His beauty and loveliness. The crystal rivers and
murmuring streams are the footsteps of His favor, grace,
and beauty. When we behold the light and brightness of
the sun, the golden edges of an evening cloud, or the
beauteous [rain]bow, we behold the adumbrations of His
glory and goodness; and in the blue sky, of His mildness
and gentleness."
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758),
Puritan philosopher and pastor;
from "Observations etc."
"God is not identified with the
world, for He made it; but God is not separate
from His world, either. For He made it."
Joseph Sittler (1904-1988)
ethicist;
from "The Structure of Christian Ethics"
"If I am going to be in the right
relationship with God, I should treat the things He has
made in the same way He treats them."
Francis Schaeffer (1912-
1984), author, lecturer;
from "Pollution and the Death of Man" (1970)
"Did God make the world? Does He
sustain it? Has He committed its resources to our care?
His personal concern for His own creation should be
sufficient to inspire us to be equally concerned."
John R. W. Stott (1921-
), pastor, author;
from "Under the Bright Wings" (1993)
"Some people, in order to discover
God, read books. But there is a great book: the very
appearance of created things. Look above you! Look below
you! Read it. God, whom you want to discover, never wrote
that book with ink. Instead, He set before your eyes, the
things that He had made. Can you ask for a louder voice
than that?"
Augustine of Hippo (354-430),
philosopher, theologian
* * * * *
Murphys Christian Camp Director Garry
Moes is a member of the international advisory board of the
Cornwall Alliance
for the Stewardship of Creation
The Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship
of Creation is a coalition of religious leaders, clergy, theologians, scientists, academics, and other policy experts committed to bringing a proper and balanced Biblical view of stewardship to the critical issues of environment and development. The
Cornwall Alliance fully supports the principles espoused in the Cornwall Declaration on Environmental
Stewardship, and is seeking to promote those principles in the discussion of various public policy issues including population and poverty, food, energy, water, endangered species, habitat, and other related topics.
