110724 Light

As a pastor of a church rooted in the Baptist tradition, I find myself in a lot of awkward conversations.  Much of the time, when people find out my church tradition, they immediately assume the wrong thing.  Every awful experience they’ve had or heard about involving some ultra conservative, judgmental, funeral-picketing Baptist gets painted on me.  They don’t know to ask which flavor of Baptist I am.  American Baptists have been historically mainline and even progressive.  There’s a big difference between what we believe and how we behave compared to other Baptist traditions.

                I try to spend more time with people who are curious about God than folks from other churches who are more caricature Baptist than me.  But sometimes I run into someone who assumes, based on my title, that I am as fundamental as they are.  No less awkward…

                Especially with my more conservative friends, things get weird when anything to do with the environment comes up.  “Environmentalists” is a derogatory term for these folks.  I get an earful of how awful policies are that are ruining business while promoting various tree hugging measures.

                I get uneasy in these conversations because in the back of my mind I’m remembering that God charged Adam with caring for the world with thoughtful stewardship.  I also remember that God apparently commanded the people of Israel to practice wise farming methods that protected the long-term fertility of the soil.  I think of Hezekiah who, when he learned he was going to live his days in luxury even though his grandkids wouldn’t, lived the rest of his life happy.  Happy that his grandkids would suffer when he could have done something about it?

                And then there’s that other obvious reality…  My family camps a lot for vacation.  We live in what has to be the most beauty-dense state in the Union, with incredible variety.  Want mountains?  Want massive beaches?  Want rocky beaches?  Want cliffs instead of beaches?  Want vineyards?  Want dormant volcanoes to climb?  Want deltas?  Want pristine mountain lakes?  Want rivers and streams teeming with trout?  Want waterfalls, inland or on a beach?  Want massive granite domes?  Every time our family becomes immersed in the creation that surrounds us, we are awestruck.  We need no convincing that this creation is very, very good.

                To not take care of it is to slap God in the face.

                The environment is such a politicized issue that for me to bring it up is a risk.  But to not bring it up is a bigger risk.

                Who or what is your primary source for determining your responsibility when it comes to caring for the globe?  Your political party?  How ‘bout we raise our eyes a bit and let our gaze be fixed on the Creator, and what God calls us to do.

                Wouldn’t it be refreshing if we, as the body of Christ, could lead the charge on caring for creation, transcending the political mire than uses it for votes on both sides of the aisle?

                It can happen.  We can rise above the politics.  Let’s show our love for God, at least in part, by caring for the place God has given us to live.

What does it mean for us to be people who have seen the light, who are guided by the light, who are illumined by the light, who are headed toward the light?

How does our “enlightenment” impact our steps?

How bright are we when it comes to our stewardship of our lives and the world we live in together?

 
When it comes to personal and global stewardship, who or what lightens your path?