6) Stewardship

The biblical image of man’s primordial home is not a wild place, but a Garden. God gave the natural world to humans as a trust—to be tended, maintained and shaped into a garden of abundance. The ethic of stewardship is described by the passages in this section. They exhort kindness to animals in distress, the proper management of natural resources, preservation of endangered species, responsible fishing practices and sustainable development. They teach us to respect nature’s balance, not to over-fish the seas, cut down the forests, or pollute the water and air. We should avoid over-consumption and generating excessive waste, but live in harmony with nature’s capacity to provide.

However, there is a precondition for good stewardship of nature: we must learn to live in harmony with other human beings. The biblical promise that “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb” is predicated on people living peaceably with one another according to Heaven’s principles.