At a recent climate change conference David Attenborough told world leaders, ‘Time is running out. The continuation of civilisations and the natural world is in your hands.’
Now like many people I try to take seriously my responsibility to look after the planet – I recycle everything I can, I compost my peelings and tea bags, and last year I gave up using cling-film! But I don’t do these things because I’m worried that the world will come to an end if I don’t. As a Christian I don’t believe that thisworld will last forever. I do them because I believe God loves all that he has created, and humans made in his image have a responsibility to steward creation wisely and accountably.
My Bible tells me that because of our selfish actions the world has become subject to decay. St Paul writes about creation groaning ‘as in the pains of childbirth’ and talks of the hope that one day creation will be liberated from its bondage to decay.
So, I’m going to keep on doing everything I can to look after God’s wonderful world, trusting that ultimately its continuation is not in mine or anyone else’s hands, but in the hands of a Creator God.
