Last summer, I had the pleasure of conducting two weddings. For both, I read from the Creation Story in Genesis 1: “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”” Genesis 1:26-28 NASB
This is a beautiful and mysterious passage. But, with mystery; we can tend to “gloss over” what we don’t really understand. But, I couldn’t “gloss this over” anymore. I began wondering: “What was the dominion and responsibility that God gave man – both male and female - over the Earth and over the creatures of the Earth? And how do we fulfill this today?”
Jesus clearly walked in dominion while living on the earth. He ordered the wind and waves to be stilled. At His knowledge and probably command, a fish with two coins swam up to be caught by Peter so the temple tax could be paid. At His command, a fig tree withered and died as a sign. And Jesus caused 153 fish to gather together to be caught “on the other side” of the apostle’s fishing boat when Jesus came to meet them at the Sea of Galilee after His resurrection.
We lost much of our authority to steward the Earth when our forebears Adam and Eve fell into sin and rebellion. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection provided for the restoration of our stewardship as sons and daughters of the Creator of the universe. Indeed, Paul writes: “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.” (Romans8:19 NKJV) The fullness of this awaits the return of King Jesus. Yet, can we walk in a greater stewardship and dominion even now?
There is evidence that gives a resounding “yes!” But our hearts and spirits must be tuned-in with God’s heart and His Spirit. Many Christians have had a hardened disregard of the earth - using the scripture about a coming "new earth" to justify this disregard. So, as Kris Vallotton points out: “Our eschatology has messed-up our ecology.” And as Leif Hetland notes: "All Kingdom matters - are matters of the heart."
Here is a story of how heart-issues affect the creation around us – and how letting God soften and reconcile our hearts can bring land, plants, and creatures into harmony and fruitfulness. It inspired me.
From “Healing the Earth” by John Sandford and Mark Sandford (Elijah House) pages 4-6:
“In the wake of World War II, Mother Basilea Schlink and her companions were building a center near Darmstadt, Germany to house their new established evangelical sisterhood. After a dump-cart loaded with sand derailed six times, Basilea discerned that their vindictive attitudes were affecting the physical world around them. She urged her sisters to repent and reconcile with each other and with God, and the cart never jumped its tracks again. From then on, by the same means they periodically stopped torrential rains, frost and heat waves that hindered the building process. For Basilea, the abstract idea that sin spiritually pollutes the land became a concrete reality!
There came a day when God convicted Mother Basilea to stop polluting the land physically as well. At God’s prompting, she insisted that her ministry cease using pesticides. Some of her sisters complained that this “defied all common sense,” but Basilea felt convicted that repentance would be the most effective pesticide. They began picking off inchworms and catching rabbits by hand. As tedious as this seemed, Basilea chose to view the hard work of practicing kindness to the earth as an indication of their willingness to bend to God’s will.
Her staff continued to combine these efforts with repentance, both individually and as a group, for whatever sins God revealed. The Lord tested them with a season of drought, but they persevered. So, He rewarded them with refreshing rains, along with ladybugs to eat plant lice, birds to pick off insects, and human helpers to assist with weeding. The result was a harvest so copious that they were able to feed not only themselves and their guests, but also needy families in the nearby town!
They dubbed that summer, “the time of unmasking.” This was repeated year after year (usually without the drought), as again and again God sternly alerted Mother Basilea and her companions to cleanse their hearts. Each time insects invaded their garden they dropped their tools, retreated to their rooms and asked the Holy Spirit to reveal whatever sin had invited the pests. In every case, after repenting and reconciling they returned to their garden and found that the pests had moved out.
Sometimes the unmasking was painful, but the bountiful results produced great faith, even in those who normally tended towards discouragement!
Since the Scripture says that God “…sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteousness” (Matthew 5:45), I caution that not every natural occurrence is due to sin. But today’s way of thinking blinds many Christians to the possibility that it ever is. I wonder if, for some who live a repentant lifestyle, nature has responded and they have chalked it up to mere coincidence.
What an added incentive to live like Jesus they might have missed."
