As we have become more aware of humanity’s power to affect the well-being of the earth, we struggle to find the line between rightly using and wrongly abusing the earth and its resources. When we realize that everything belongs to God, not to us, our perspective shifts from seeing ourselves as owners trying to get full value out of our property, to seeing ourselves as caretakers and stewards of property that belongs to another. Our role in creation is communal. We are challenged to understand what is best for ourselves not only as individuals but as a community, and to act on that understanding.
This message is adapted from “Rejoicing in God’s Creation” written by Julie A. Kanarr in the June 2004 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather magazine).