An inter-Mennonite newspaper, putting the Mennonite world together every week since 1923

EDITORIAL

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The sight of ancient and awesome creations — the Andes Mountains in Cachipay, Colombia, or the Olympic range in Washington state — makes one feel small and insignificant.

Appreciation for God’s handiwork comes easily in stunning settings. It is more difficult to carry that feeling over into everyday interactions with the parts of creation we tend — a grassy lawn or shallow creek.

Yet our interaction with ordinary parts of creation matters. There are theological implications in it. If we harm creation, we are harming both our neighbors and God’s handiwork.

Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, now general secretary of the Reformed Church in America, outlined three theologies of human relationship to creation in a 1990 Sojourners magazine article, “Renewing the Whole Creation.” These are not the only ways of considering that relationship, but they are helpful.

First is a theology of domination, in which God sanctions human use of creation to fulfill any human need or desire, even if that means harming creation.

Second is a theology of stewardship, which advocates using creation wisely when meeting human needs, so natural resources will be available longer.

Third is a theology of interrelationship, which asserts that “creation has value because of its relationship to God, rather than its utility for humanity,” Granberg-Michaelson wrote. Preserving and renewing creation, then, comes from recognition of creation’s value in itself.

Each of these theologies has a biblical basis, although the first two are more focused on Genesis 1-2. These chapters are key passages, but they are not the only parts of Scripture that should inform our view of the relationship between God, humans and other parts of creation.

Leviticus 25’s Sabbath laws include the importance of rest for the land as well as for people. Psalm 24:1-2 reminds us that the Earth and all creation belong to the Lord, not humans. Revelation 21 describes God renewing all of the Earth.

The different understandings of these Bible passages and others relating to creation, and the different theologies of relationship, all can lead people to be concerned about the Earth and environmental destruction. All of these theologies — and blends of them — are likely represented in Mennonite churches and at the Mennonite colleges and universities featured in this issue.

It is worth taking a second look at our theologies of relationship to creation, and how they affect our actions in preserving the environment.

A theology of domination, or dominion, most often leads to a view that creation is only valuable because of its usefulness to us. This theology supports the idea that preventing environmental destruction is necessary only because we want to avoid negative consequences for ourselves.

A theology of stewardship can lack a sense that humans are but one part of the web of life, intimately connected to the other parts. A theology of interrelationship can help us to see those connections and humbly work to strengthen them.

However we view the relationship between humans and creation, we can engage in efforts to preserve the environment that show we value God’s creation, which merits our concern and our awe. — Celeste Kennel-Shank