We are halfway through our top ten reasons for creation care, and this just in time for Earth Day this Sunday! Rather than go through the previous five points, let's jump right into this one:
5. Creation brings glory to God.
'The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour fourth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the end of the world.'
Here the Psalmist is looking on at the works of God, and cannot contain himself. Creation, by its beauty and majesty and otherness, elevates our minds to something higher, to our Creator, and praise is the only possible result. All of God's creation brings him glory. Jesus said that, if the people did not praise him, then the rocks would cry out, and indeed they do, every day, as they testify to the greatness of our God.
Psalm 19 is a particularly interesting passage, because the second half praises God for his Law, his written Word. Throughout church history there has been recognition of two books, the book of God's works and the book of God's word, and they both bring glory to God.
By taking care of the environment, Christians enact a form of worship, preserving those things that bring glory to God. When a creature goes extinct, the glory of God is diminished, in that there is one less creature to elevate our minds to God. A lady I was speaking to the other day described the awe she felt when she approached a wild male giraffe sitting on the ground, and how that awe increased when it stood up.
A world without giraffes is a world without that experience of awe.
Deforestation leaves an ugly landscape. It is difficult to have that feeling of transcendence when one gazes on a landfill. Restored environments, not degraded ones, bring glory to God.
By taking care of the environment, we ensure that all creation can praise its Creator.
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