To the Stewards
Read: Romans 8:18-25
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Growing up, my family camped in the Blue Ridge Mountains every summer. One traditional stopping point was Mt. Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi, where we feasted on hot chocolate, powdered donuts, and Snickers bars (yes, all three at once). The view from Mt. Mitchell is incredible. Miles and miles of cool, quiet mountains roll out, coated in mist, hinting at thousands of years of history. Glorious. Except for the dead trees. The entire top of Mt. Mitchell was dead trees.
Since the 1950s, the invasive balsam woolly adelgid (think: aphid) has been killing the Fraser firs on Mt. Mitchell (and the surroundings). To make matters worse, during the past hundred years, acid rain has hit the mountain, and “the fog that drifts across Mt. Mitchell’s summit has a pH of 2.1, an acidity level somewhere between battery acid and lemon juice” (Timothy Silver). So, along with the joy in those childhood vacation memories, I remember, even back then, an ache. Things in the world were—and are–broken.
In Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve sinned, the ground itself was cursed, destined now to grow thorns and thistles. The animals who once lived peacefully in Eden with Adam now lived in fear of man. Scholars debate whether the death of insects, flowers, and other nonhuman things existed before the fall, but everyone agrees that after the fall, the natural order of everything in creation was ruined. Or as Paul puts it in Romans, “subjected to frustration” and in “bondage to decay.”
Creation, Paul says, is groaning. Do you hear it? It is in the wind of the hurricane blowing through the Caribbean as I write. It is in the spindly dead spider curled up in the top right corner of the door, removed by a tissue and thrown in the trash. I hear it in the weeds that choked out my garden this summer and the trash that I find in my backyard creek.
And we too groan. Childhood leukemia, Alzheimer’s disease, heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis…our bodies are failing. We wait eagerly, even desperately, for the redemption of our bodies. With every earthquake and every broken bone, we cry, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
But until then, what? I think three things.
First, we do all that we can to alleviate human suffering (and creation’s suffering) along the journey. It is our God-given role to steward this earth (Gen 1: 26), to shepherd the animals, to grow beauty from the ground. Creation was the collateral damage of Adam’s decision, but we do not have to add to the pain. In so much as we are able, it is our obligation to try to set things right, to bring the Kingdom here, to console the frustrated creation. Whatever little steps this means for you, do them. Recycle. Reuse. Protect the endangered. Ride a bike instead of drive. Pick up trash from the roadside. Teach the little ones not to squish the bugs. Grow the native plants. Take a hike and enjoy the forest. Be grateful for and cuddle with your dog.
Second, we pray. This is a given, right? And yet, how many of us forget to add creation to the list of prayers. Please Lord, bless the land. Restore the rain forests. Clean up the rivers. Give the farmers good crops. Ease the droughts. Stop the poachers. If prayer is a powerful tool, we should employ it toward healing the earth.
Third, we dream and find solace in the dream. In the New Creation, EVERYTHING is going to be completely restored. Can you imagine the glory?? With us, creation will rejoice at the liberation! Human freedom and rebirth will be underscored by the freedom and rebirth experienced by creation. We will lie down with the fierce beasts, and the small creatures will not be afraid of us. The mountains will again be full of trees and fresh, clean air. As Revelation so beautifully promises, “God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Yes, this intertwined journey of groaning that we and creation have taken will then be a story of God’s grace and power, and all of us will tell it. Hallelujah, He is coming!
