Go Green with the Bible

The Bible and the Green Movement

Although “going green” and the green movement have political origins that can be traced back to the 1970s, proponents of the movement today are not as politically motivated. They are more concerned about preserving the environment and reducing or eliminating the impact of wasteful habits, toxic chemicals in food and water, and the dwindling of the earth’s natural resources. Today’s green movement includes millions of homemakers, students, corporations, organizations, politicians and even Christians.

And as if we didn’t have enough versions and paraphrases of the Bible, there is even an environmentally-friendly “green” version, which highlights in green those Scriptures that speak about the earth, God’s creation and our responsibility as caretakers. According to the publishers, “The Green Bible will equip and encourage people to see God’s vision for creation and help them engage in the work of healing and sustaining it.”

In typical “green” fashion, this Bible is printed with soy-based ink on recycled paper (a “true green” digital version is expected soon). It includes supplemental writings by various giants of the Christian faith who reference the Book of Genesis and God’s charge to mankind to have dominion or stewardship over the earth (Genesis 2:15).

The Christian Duty

Whether you use the Green Bible or your own choice of version, Scripture clearly indicates that we are responsible for the care of the earth and God’s creation. This should be done with diligence and in moderation. Many extremists have taken the green movement too far and have become pagan-like in their fanaticism. Christians who support the green movement must avoid this extreme at all costs. Here are two key points to keep in mind.

• The earth and all of God’s creation is His gift to mankind. Everything that has ever been created is good and was created by God (Genesis 1; Psalms 19:1-6; Psalm 65).

• We take care of the earth and fulfill our responsibility when we practice environmental stewardship in our everyday habits such as reducing time in the shower to three minutes or less, and recycling as instructed to reduce the size of landfills.

 

Be First to Comment

  1. TurtleDove said:

    Thank you, thank you, thank you! Sometimes I feel like I’m the only “green” Christian, though I know I’m not. I’ve been wondering why Christians would see the green movement as un-Christian in any way, then I started thinkng they’re afraid it would lead to paganism. That is so impossible for me, it’s (almost) funny. I view the earth as God’s creation. Caring for the trees and animals could never lead to worshipping them, any more than owning a dog would lead to worshipping it! I have a green bible, but I only use it for reference. I actually wish it had commentary, because some colored passages don’t seem environmental to me. I’ve been reading the “trail guide” in the back, and I read another bible daily.

    May 9, 2009
    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *