Ownership

Assigned Readings (1)

From Nature to Creation Ch. 1

Wirzba writes “it is a contradiction to profess belief in God the Creator and then live in ways that degrade and destroy God’s creation” (p.25). Humans upgrade ourselves from the role of created to Creator when we alter the world around us. Only the owner of something may change it, therefore we have repeatedly asserted ourselves as the owners of this planet. The world is not in the same condition as it started in. Humans have entirely changed landscapes and hunted animal species to the point of extinction. We have literally wiped the earth of certain living creatures and they will never come back. That is astoundingly selfish. We are called to be mindful stewards of this gift, earth, but we choose convenience over consciousness. This is more evident in that “much of creation is being destroyed is a clear witness to the fact that Christians have forfeited their creaturely identity” (p. 25). We should refer to the age old advice of “actions speak louder than words.” Anyone can claim they respect God and the planet but what matters is how we act out those beliefs. If you care about something or someone, you will naturally care for and protect it. I would argue that most of humanity does not genuinely care for this earth, beyond claiming to.