Creation Keepers

After a hot spell last week during which the four-legged’s in out household and my spouse required air conditioning, the windows are back open, the scent of rain is in the air, and the birds are singing. It’s almost magical the way that creation just sort of “happens” around us without any intervention from us (although I’m convinced that if I didn’t feed the birds–even the sparrows–there’s no way they could survive without me).

In fact, the sad truth is that when we humans do interact or intervene in nature’s happenings, it is rarely a good thing. We have seen this in recent decrees from government officials to expand logging operations in the US, and shared plans that will decrease public grounds for private profit. Lest we think the problem is only with the current presidential administration and only an “out there somewhere else” kind of problem, according to a March 2025 Investigative Midwest analysis of reports from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, nearly eight out of 10 river segments have been in a continuously impaired status for at least a decade (source article). During the same period, 43% of lake segments have experienced a similar condition. In other words EIGHTY PERCENT of Iowa rivers have been “impaired” by pollutants. The culprit? Human intervention by way of big ag.

And yet, to see this issue as a political one would be a mistake, I think. Particularly for people of faith. The desecration of earth’s natural habitats, creatures, and resources is a moral issue, and one that many of us–no matter where we fall on the political spectrum–have “off-loaded” into the political sphere. Exactly why we have done this is really anyone’s guess, but it has happened–little by little over time–by people from all walks of life and all political and socioeconomic statuses. 

By making this a political issue to be handled by politicians only, we have washed our hands of the moral responsibility we have to care for creation as people of faith. Rev. Cameron Trimble dives deeper:  “The very first command in Scripture wasn’t about power or purity. It was about relationship. “The Lord God placed the human in the garden,” Genesis tells us, “to till it and to keep it.” That word keep in Hebrew--shamar—carries the meaning of guarding, tending, watching over with care. It’s the same word used to describe how God keeps watch over Israel. It’s covenantal. Sacred.” In other words, in failing to watch over creation with care, we have broken far more than our spaces for recreation, we have broken a sacred trust.

Although it may not seem like it upon first read, there’s good news here. There is good news that if we–either consciously or subconsciously–have ceded our moral responsibility to politicians and their politics, we can choose to take it back. And the best part is that we don’t even need a fancy rally or even a “call your senator” campaign. Hear me when I say, those things are perfectly fine. But moral responsibility is regained when we start living more fully into our sacred covenant as creation keepers. And that means considering our personal impact on the environment when it comes time to make even the smallest of environmental decisions.

For example, how would living more fully into our sacred covenant as creation keepers impact our decision to treat our lawns with herbicides or pesticides or both? How would it impact how much lawn we have in the first place? What would it mean to keep our vegetable gardens in such a way that centers our relationship with the whole garden and not just the end result? Would we use pesticides? Would we create a compost area? Would we plant companion plants in our yard to encourage pollinators? What if we lived as if reducing the carbon footprint of the world or the US began in our homes? Would we recycle more than we put in the trash? Would we think twice before hitting print on a document? Would we return cans and bottles to a redemption center instead of throwing them away? What if our church saw creation care as more than just recycling? How would we use our grounds differently? What decisions would we make about the building? What practices might we adopt or center in worship?

I know that’s a lot of questions, but I think questions are a great place to start a much-needed conversation, AND a much-needed conversion of our hearts. Because that’s what will save us and this sacred planet–a conversion of our hearts and our minds–and NOT conversation amongst politicians. People of faith ground transformation in the practice of repentance–a change of heart and mind that brings us closer to the heart of God. Understanding that when our own hearts and minds are changed, the world around us is changed because we move through that world differently. 

So, my friends, this week I pray that we would begin to ask ourselves some questions–maybe even the ones above. And I pray that those questions would lead each of us into living more fully into our sacred covenant as creation keepers. I pray that we would repent–over and over again–as we find areas of our own lives that are keeping us from living in this way. And I pray that as we do, we are drawn ever closer and ever deeper into the heart of God. 

Learning to take back moral responsibility with you,
Pr. Melissa

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