Well it’s earth day. And it’s pretty clear that environmentalism has become a religion of sorts. Think about it. It’s really got all the earmarks of a religion’s best and worst qualities.
There’s a moral code (which even comes with legislation). Try putting your garbage in your blue recycle bin if you want to see what happens when you step out of line.
There’s an orthodoxy. In religion orthodoxy serves as the agreed set of beliefs about who’s in and out. With environmentalism, there’s a move to squash dissent – even calling calling those who question global warming “deniers,” like, as in, um, “holocaust deniers.” Rough stuff.
There’s an apocalypse. Yes, the aforementioned “warming” is coming if there’s no repentance.
There’s even a televangelist. Former VP Al Gore has reportedly made over 500 million dollars from being the Benny Hinn of carbon credits. Both Benny and Al have greenhouse-gas-spewing private jets, but the faithful have never minded a little hypocrisy from the charismatic.
The list goes on: Movies (An Inconvenient Truth, The Day After Tomorrow, etc), worship bands (Green Day anyone?), inspirational books (Earth in the Balance, et. al.) cover ups (climate gate), “history-changing” conferences (Kyoto, Copenhagen) and music festivals (”Live Earth,” etc). Like Christianity, environmental religion is big business. The Vatican gift shop is on notice.
All this leads many Christians towards mockery and rebellion towards the now numero uno spiritual competition to our own faith. And while I admit to personally driving a low-mileage truck (I do frequently pull a trailer) and mixing paper with plastic from time to time (although I usually separate out recyclables for a local church that raises money for Speed-the-Light with bottle and cans), I share the sentiment with the Apostle Paul that the earth screams the glory of God out loud. I’ve never personally met Picasso, but his paintings tell me he was one strange Spaniard. I like to think I’ve been closer to God in my life than any early 20th century painters (Director’s commentary: this is a Picasso reference for the uninitiated) , but never the less, the times I think I have really had the best glimpse of who he is have been near the ocean, in the Yosemite valley or flying over the rocky mountains. I know, even then, it’s like an ant looking at fence I built and thinking he gets why I hate jazz music, but at least I then realize how insignificant my existence is. Then the fact that the builder thinks I matter really matters to me.
While Earth Day is a truly religious holiday to many for many of the wrong reasons, I think we might be able to make it have some meaning even still. Who knows, maybe we even outright take it over- like Christmas (which was a pagan date on the calendar). I think I get why people revere the earth – it’s God’s best work that we can actually touch, taste, smell, hear and see. People do feel a connection to God when they look at creation . . .
“Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being.” (Romans 1:20 – from the Message)
Observe God’s creation. While you’re looking around, pick up some trash. You wouldn’t let someone spill Ketchup on a Picasso would you?
Jeff
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