Environmentalism From a Christian Point of View

It is important for us to know that all things around us, and us included, have been created through our Lord Jesus Christ and for Him

Writing as a proud Malaysian, I have many reasons why I love this country so much. Besides the diversity of cultures, languages, and, not forgetting the most important thing for Malaysians - food! - I am also very grateful to be in a country which is so beautiful and well known for its nature and environment.

Located right in the middle of the Tropics, we have lush green rain forests which is one of the most diverse type of forests in the world, all around us, which hosts thousands of different kinds of insects, animals and plants. Besides that, we are also proud to have Mount Kinabalu in Sabah - the highest peak found in the South East Asia region, standing at 4,095 metres. And, while we look in awe at the height of our mountains, we are also blessed with the amazing richness of life in the depths of our oceans. Malaysia is situated within an area called “The Coral Triangle”, which is an area recognised by scientists, world-wide, to be most abundant and diverse in marine life. Sipadan Island in Sabah is also recognised by international bodies as one of the top ten dive sites in the world.

With such unimaginable luxuries in our very own backyard, how then should I, as a Christian, respond to environmental issues concerning our country? I believe that as Christians, we should go back to basics and ask ourselves what God, our Creator, had intended for us when He formed the Earth that we live in. We need to look at why the environment is important in God’s eyes in order to respond biblically to the environmental issues.

It is God’s Creation
The very first book of the Bible, Genesis, gives a very clear depiction of the earth’s creation to show that God took every effort to create earth, filled with a variety of vegetation and animals, in a specific order. This indicates that God was intentional in His creation and He even praised the works of His hands by saying that "it was very good" (Gen 1:31 - NIV). God has also been involved in sustaining His creation through His providence of water, sunshine, and food to His creation (Psa 65, 104 and 145 – NIV). It is also important to remember that all these around us (as well as ourselves), have been created by our Lord Jesus Christ and for His pleasure (Col 1:16 – NIV). It is for His enjoyment that these things were formed.

God valued His creation so much that it seems He hesitated to create the plants because there was no one to care for it (Gen 2:5 – NCV). After He created the plants, God then created the first man with a specific role given to him – to care for the ground and work it (Gen 2:15 – NCV). Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, were also commanded to take charge and govern over the earth. As Christians, we are taught by Jesus himself in the Gospels to be good managers of God’s resources. We should, therefore, all the more play an active role in preserving the environment that God has created and treasures so much.

It is a Testimony to God’s Existence
In this day and age of science, the teachings of the theory of evolution by Charles Darwin have been widely spread among students worldwide. New Age atheists have been trying to dismiss the existence of God and the creation story by propagating this idea of evolution, where the universe and all its living things evolved from a single source of energy through random chance. This is a result of the wickedness of men who are trying to suppress the truth, as mentioned in Romans 1:18-20. God has made it plain to mankind His existence through the display of His creation so that people are without excuse not to believe in Him.

The creativity and divine nature of God is clearly portrayed in the work of His hands, where the testimony of His existence is for all men of all times, regardless of race, language, location or time (Psa 19:1-6 - NIV). God’s creation is still a very important testimony of His existence in many places, especially in deep rural areas where unknown tribes and communities have yet to be reached. From my personal experience, my faith in God has only increased every time I am surrounded by nature and observe the tiny little things God has made. Some people have been challenged to believe in a Creator God after seeing the intricate designs and functions of each animal or plant in the environment around them. With this in mind, it’s even more important to protect the work of God’s hands in our world today as they open up opportunities for us to speak about this amazing God that we have.

It Provides us with Important Resources
Humans depend on the natural resources found in the environment for food and shelter. From the time of Adam and Eve, our main food source comes from crops, livestock and fish. The most important resources needed for mankind to survive are also part of the environment - air and water. However, these two resources are the most affected today. Many people in different parts of the world are suffering and dying because of the lack of access to clean water, or are exposed to polluted air. Water borne diseases and respiratory re-lated diseases are increasing every day and many of the victims are children, especially from poor, undeveloped countries.

This is because of mankind’s greed in exploiting the environment, without considering the consequences on fellow human beings. As Christians, one of the greatest commandments to us is to love your neighbour as yourself. How can we say we love our neighbours when we let them suffer the effects from the degradation of the environment?

If the environment is important because it’s God’s creation, shouldn’t we, as Christians, be more interested and involved in doing something about the environment?

There are many simple steps that can be done by any individual to help the environment, such as bring your own reusable bags when you go shopping, bring your own water bottle instead of buying a new bottle and throwing it away every time, practice recycling, use both sides of the paper before throwing, turn off your tap while you are brushing your teeth and etc.

By Daniel Lee