The Greatest Commandment
Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of this blog’s first posting. That being the case, I’d like to say thanks to all of you who take the time to read what Rob and I write. The things we share with you truly are important to us.
Long ago Jesus said the “greatest commandment” is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” I remain convinced that it is impossible to fully love God without also loving and caring for His Creation. As we have been noting for the past year, the Bible makes it clear that God makes Himself known through what He has made. Through Creation we personally encounter the God revealed in the Scriptures. His love, power, majesty and grace are on display everywhere we look. Seeing Creation leads me to love and worship God. It makes me cry out with the Psalmist, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
The more I become aware of the connection between the Creator and the Creation the more I become committed to caring for what God has made. I understand that by working to preserve and protect the environment that I am actually loving God. The Bible reveals God’s love for what He has made. If He loves the earth, so must I. Some may see the preservation of man as the primary reason for working to “save the planet.” I think that love for God should be the foremost cause. If we are going to fulfill the greatest commandment it will include caring for the earth.
It is important that we all take the “greatest commandment” seriously. Obviously I realize that loving God with everything that we’ve got will involve far more than just caring for Creation. We must also do things like spread the gospel, care for the poor, and practice justice. I just hope that Christians will not fail to see that being good stewards of the earth and its resources is, in fact, a wonderful way to show their love for God.
–Chuck
(The top image was taken at Angel Falls Overlook in the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. The bottom image is a lady slipper.)