Take care of Earth
The scene of devastation in Uttarakhand, particularly around the Kedarnath, where hundreds of pilgrims and rescue officials have died is beyond description. The Bible begins with a beautiful story of God creating the universe in seven days.
And after creating the crown of creation — Adam and Eve — God tells them, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food” (Genesis 1: 29).
Mother Earth and all that it contains, including the sea, is meant to sustain our life for as long as we sojourn here. Environmentalists have gone hoarse trying to warn us about the terrible consequences that loom large for the coming generations if we continue treating the Earth the way we do. The catastrophe in the Himalayan region is certainly another rude shock to our generation. The pertinent question to ask is this, “Is the disaster in Uttarakhand a man-made tragedy or simply the result of nature’s fury?”
There is more or less a consensus which suggests that greed for money is the root cause for the unbridled mining, clearing of forests, construction of huge buildings with total disregard for God’s magnificent creation and His laws. The Bible says, “…The Earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse consumes the Earth; its people must bear their guilt” (Isaiah 24:5-6).
Fortunately, we have enough scientific evidence accompanied by recommendations to care for the Earth and try to undo as much damage as possible.
The Bible asks: “Is it not enough for you to feed on good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?” And then it instructs, “...ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the Earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you… In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:7-10).
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