In the beginning, the Lord made a beautiful creation. It was a delight to his eyes. He rested after his six days of creation to enjoy his handiwork. And he still enjoys it today (1 Timothy 4:4, Psalm 104). As evangelicals, we rightly emphasise how detestable sin is and how horrible its consequences. Perhaps this can lead us to regard the creation around us as fundamentally bad.
But it isn’t. The creation is still pleasing to God. It is good with bad parts, not bad with good parts. And because God regards it like this, so should we, and so we should be annoyed when it is harmed. We should want God’s still-lovely creation to be kept as undefiled as possible. We work to keep our house in good shape, and so if a thief breaks in and damages it we are justly angry at his destruction of our beautiful home. Thus it is right for us to care for the environment – that is, the created world around us. It is right for us to think carefully about our behaviour and consider its impact on God’s beautiful world.
