Sustainers of God's creation

Sustaining creation

The Genesis stories of creation, The Psalms, Wisdom literature, the Story of Noah, Mark’s Gospel and the Letters of Paul provide us with some key messages about the importance of sustaining God’s creation. Man and woman are unique creations. Made in the image and likeness of God, they alone have the capacity to know the world and to deny God’s purpose.

Basis in scripture

The creation stories point to the role men and women are to play. The first human is asked to name all the animals and birds which God had created as helpmates for the human (Genesis 2:18). With this mastery over creation comes the responsibility to respect its integrity and to care for it. This ‘sustainer’ or ‘caretaker’ role is reinforced as God places the human in the Garden of Eden ‘to till it and keep it’.

The Noah story (Genesis 6-10) outlines the same role for humans as stewards of creation. When sinful humankind has all but frustrated God's creative purpose, God makes a new beginning. To Noah and his family is entrusted the preservation of every form of living thing. A covenant is entered into, not only with the humans but ‘with every living creature that is with you’ (Genesis 9:10). The continuance of all creation is God's will and man and woman have a custodial role in that.

But humankind has abused its trust and misused creation. St Paul speaks of creation having been subjected to futility and bondage, groaning as it awaits the revealing of the children of God (Romans 8). And Mark’s gospel has Jesus command his disciples to take the good news to ‘the whole creation’ (Mark 16:15). The good news of Jesus' salvation touches all creation because it restores the proper order of things destroyed by sin. Today the Church is much more aware of ecological responsibility being intimately bound to its mission to proclaim the gospel. The created universe is a sacred trust placed in humankind's care.

Contemporary context

The ecological crisis and related contemporary scientific research aligns itself closely with ancient ways of knowing about the importance of inter-relationship and inter-dependence between every element of the created universe. Nothing exists of itself. ‘Creatures exist only in dependence on each other, to complete each other, in the service of each other.’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #340)

Human interdependence is also increasing. With modern communications comes ‘globalisation’, stressing the unity of the human family. Organisations such as the United Nations struggle to achieve a proper realisation of the equal human dignity of all people and nations. The challenge is to bring about co-operation that will provide adequately for all on our planet. The social teaching of the modern Church makes a significant contribution to this task.

Individuals should not overlook the divine action of God within themselves. These divine actions seek for individuals to love and sustain God’s creation. We share our expressions of awe and wonder at ourselves and of the whole of creation and make sustaining choices and actions for creation. It is the personal task of each of us to bring our own creation to completion by personal and spiritual growth. The raw material of life, gifts, talents and time has been given us by our Creator to use in cooperation with others.