WHY CARE FOR CREATION?
By David Gould
OMF. 3 booklets, each 12 pages. PDF version
free to download. 10 or more printed copies
can be ordered from OMF Tel: 01732 887299
or email: omf@omf.org.uk www.omf.org.uk
What does it mean to share the good news of Jesus Christ in all its fullness?
OMF, better known for bringing the gospel to all the peoples of East Asia, has set out to unpack what that looks like in one significant area: caring for God’s world. David Gould, who served with OMF International in Singapore for 12 years, has written a series of three short booklets on this theme. They provide a useful summary of the Biblical basis for creation care with a perspective from the Global South.
Booklet 1, Creation Glorifies God, takes us from God as the creator of all things and the God of order and abundant life in Genesis, to God’s conversation with Job and how we should let our wonder at the world around us speak to our hearts and come to know God in a deeper way. It reflects on the Psalms and other Scriptures which show us how creation glorifies God and how we should do the same.
Booklet 2, God Entrusts Us With the Care of Creation, considers God’s commands for us to care for creation. We are vice-regents of the earth: to be fruitful and increase in number, to subdue the earth, and to rule over all the creatures. These commands have been used to justify actions that have had disastrous impacts on creation, but the key is understanding that we are made in the image of God and should reflect His character as we obey these commands, working for the good of all our fellow creatures.
The final booklet, Good News For Creation, brings us to Jesus as the Lord, Saviour and Sustainer of creation. It considers Jesus and the kingdom of God and what this means for creation, old and new. I was struck by the story of the Thai theological student who asked for prayer for the soil of Thailand. As Gould says, unless we grasp the all-embracing scope of the gospel, we risk alienating the very people we long to see come to faith in Christ.
The booklets include questions for reflection on the issues raised. If anything, I would have liked to hear more stories of creation care from the Global South, but I recommend them for personal or small group study. They are freely available at omf. org/uk/whycareforcreation.
