Mourning Earth

Climate change, climate change, climate change! Talk, talk, talk. Evidence, evidence, evidence. Is it so hard to see climate change? Well, that depends on your definition of climate change. The question begs: What is today’s climate? What are the world’s biggest problems? Doesn’t that depend on who you ask? Some list: Energy, economic collapse, taxes, poverty, terrorism, crime, surveillance, over population, food production, clean water, foreign aid, drugs, racism, when do you want me to stop? I have my own list: religious liberty, sanctity of marriage, human rights, media manipulation, corrupt politics, education, right to life, when do you want me to stop?

God created this climate perfectly. We’re the ones who have nearly destroyed it. We have been our own worst enemy. Perhaps, Walt Kelly phrased it best in 1970 when he himself said: “We have met the enemy and it is us.” What is today’s climate? Short and to the point. Sinful, sinful, sinful. Don’t worry; we can combine the two climates. The earth destroyed by man and one by Satan through man.

Let’s look at earth’s natural climate changes. Changing people’s minds about climate—with facts, tables, predictions, satellites, and those pesky scientists—has proven extremely difficult if not unpredictable. Instead of heat, drought, natural disasters and other acts of God, we might look toward guilt, anxiety, anger and ignorance about how we’ve caused the decoration of mother earth. What about sin?

What about your hearts and souls? Are we ignoring our emotional and spiritual connections with our home base—earth? What about that connection with our Creator? With all the white noise swirling around climate change—meteorology, science, politics, sensationalism, fatalists, and natural disasters themselves—drown out the voice of a loss so profound that it rests unnamed in our souls? Are our breaking hearts a part of the reason we are immobilized? “The heart is most deceitful” you know.

We see iconic images surrounding climate change daily: a human mother watching her child starve and die due to hunger, earthquakes, rising oceans, wildfires, birthing pangs of many sorts, people homeless and eating out of dumpsters, aborting babies, executive crimes, murder, these things and many others affect our climate, too. The list is long and sin-laden.

Earth: an incarnation of God’s love rendered in soil, water, air and living beings and things. It is a gift we must, by all rational, emotional, ethical, and spiritual measures, protect and preserve for future generations. These two types of climates are interconnected? This planet is a gift—given to us by the Creator—not for just some. We’re instructed to keep it clean, safe, healthy, pure, and livable. Christians are compelled to ensure that “the least of these” that are most venerable are protected from the ravages of climate change—and we are not just talkin’ weather. The Bible says take care of the earth “The Lord took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Genesis 2:15 We are to take care for each other “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” Hebrews 6:10 If we do not change our ways, this planet will be less hospitable and littered with more bodies and garbage. Humans are capable of “free-willing” ourselves right into oblivion, heaven or hell. That God will remain with us through these climate changes until the end is a given, but as we are told in Genesis, we are not the only act of creation that is “good”. Are there any guarantees of human existence on earth beyond our own ignorance and folly? Will we ruin everything and everybody?

If we are indeed close to the end days, then dramatic climatic weather events seem imminent. God will use severe weather events, as he had done before, to speak to and judge, all nations. As for the sinful climate, there is no need to worry! Those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ are eternally safe in the hands of the living God (John 3:16). The Bible promises all those who put their trust in Jesus will be exempt from “the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole earth” (Revelation 3:10).

Look at this picture again. Doesn’t it remind you of a little gospel tune called “He’s got the Whole World in His Hands”? He’s got the whole world in his hands. He’s got the whole world in his hands. He’s got the whole world in his hands. The writer of the song is unknown, but we do know who the “his” is.