KENNEDY COLUMN: We must not destroy God's work

By Carolyn Kennedy, Sauk Prairie Eagle columnist

Humans have realized that the world is highly ordered, and we want to live in accord with this order. So says Professor Calvin DeWitt, environmental scientist and evangelical Christian.  

DeWitt, who spoke at the River Arts Center on Oct. 20, used a picture of earth taken from the moon to emphasize that "the earth is a very beautiful system."

DeWitt participated in a 2006 meeting of environmental scientists and evangelical leaders. Though these 28 people differed in their beliefs about how the world was created, and the nature of God, they agreed that human beings are harming the world and that scientists and religious leaders have a joint responsibility to stop, and perhaps even reverse, the harm.

The religious and environmental leaders issued "An Urgent Call to Action" that said, "We agree that our home, the Earth, which comes to us as that inexpressibly beautiful and mysterious gift that sustains our very lives, is seriously imperiled by human behavior.  

The harm is seen throughout the natural world, including a cascading set of problems such as climate change, habitat destruction, pollution and species extinctions, as well as the spread of human infectious diseases, and other accelerating threats to the health of people and the well-being of societies."  

The statement continues, "We believe that the protection of life on Earth is a profound moral imperative … It requires a new moral  awakening to a compelling demand, clearly articulated in scripture and supported by science, that we must steward the natural world in order to preserve for ourselves and future generations a beautiful, rich and healthful environment.

For many of us, this is a religious obligation, rooted in our sense of gratitude for creation and reverence for its creator." It also suggests that the world's poor will disproportionately suffer the effects of environmental damage.

DeWitt said that our approach to managing the world's resources is backwards.  

"We have come to presume that industrial economy can (and must) drive creation's economy." Yet in order for us to live, God's Creation must come first.

DeWitt says that our God-given stewardship, or dominion, over the earth requires us to "co-serve," to be in service to the world God made. As Christians we must participate in God's shalom, promoting peace and wholeness in everything. Faithful stewardship encourages us to restore even small bits of wholeness on behalf of the master/creator.

The full text of the statement is at creationcareforpastors.com. Dr. Calvin DeWitt is co-founder of the Evangelical Environmental Network (creationcare.org).  The network "seeks to educate, inspire, and mobilize Christians in their effort to care for God's creation, to be faithful stewards of God's provision, and to advocate for actions and policies that honor God and protect the environment.

— Carolyn Kennedy is the pastor of the Mazomanie United Church of Christ and can be reached at

(608) 220-6987 or by e-mail at mazoucc@charterinternet.com.