In the 1960s, the ecology movement was launched with a fundamental insight: Everything

is part of a system. If you alter one thing, it will affect something elsefor good or ill. For
example, we discovered back then that using the pesticide to control mosquitoes
and malaria (a good thing) also weakened the shells of birds eggs and threatened their
ability to reproduce (a bad thing). Such discoveries helped us think beyond our immediate
actions and anticipate the collateral damage created by the way we live.
Are evangelization, compassionate justice ministry, and earth care similarly connected
in a spiritual ecology? In this essay for the Global Conversation, Scott Sabin, author of
the newly published Tending to Eden, connects those dots.
eXgi\ZXi`fljjcfg\, Liienne digs in ihe dusiy soiI viih
a smaII hoe, Ianiing beans in hoeIuI aniiciaiion oI ihe
iains, vhich have become uniediciabIe in ieceni yeais.
MiIes avay, his viIe is ieiuining Iiom ihe incieasingIy
disiani Ioiesi viih a Iaige bundIe oI Iiievood on hei head.
She vas u beIoie davn caiiying vaiei Iiom ihe siing,
neaiIy an houi`s vaIL avay. 1he inIani on hei bacL is sicL
viih iniesiinaI aiasiies Iiom diinLing ihe vaiei ihai she has voiLed
so haid io iovide.
1hough ihe gIobaI coniexi may be Iosi on Liienne and his IamiIy, ihey Iive
viih ihe consequences oI enviionmeniaI degiadaiion on a daiIy basis. By coniiasi,
in ihe Uniied Siaies, Iiequeni headIines vain oI ihe iiibuIaiions oI ihe eaiih
and iis ecosysiems, bui because ihe imaci on oui daiIy Iives IeeIs minimaI, ihe
sieady aiade oI diie iediciions is ignoiedoi voise, Iosieis desaii.
UniiI I began voiLing viih PIani viih Puiose (IoimeiIy IIoiesia), I vas
among ihose vho ignoied ihe signs, occasionaIIy Iameniing ihe Ioss oI a Iavoiiie
hiLing Iace oi noiicing ihai I no Iongei sav hoined Iizaids in my bacLyaid.
Beyond ihai, ihe enviionmeni vas a secondaiy concein. 1hose vho veni beIoie
me ai PIani viih Puiose, hovevei, sav a diieci conneciion beiveen Ioiesi
heaIih and ihe heaIih oI ooi communiiies. 1o gei beyond iieaiing ihe sym-
ioms oI oveiiy, ve vouId need io addiess ihe heaIih oI ihe ecosysiem ihai
Whole Earth
Evangelism
Creation care is part and parcel of
the Great Commission and the Great
Commandment. By Scott Sabin
O
J u l y 2 0 1 0 | C H R I S T I A N I T Y T O D A Y 27
Illustration by Michael Mullan
C H R I S T I A N I T Y T O D A Y | J u l y 2 0 1 0 28
WH O L E E A R T H E V A N G E L I S M
suoiied ihe ooi. Sianding on a vindsvei hiIIside in Haiii
one aIieinoon, oveiIooLing a anoiama oI eioded mouniains
and siIi-choLed iiveis, ii davned on me ihai ve couId noi give
a cu oI coId vaiei viihoui iesioiing ihe vaieished. Ovei ihe
asi I8 yeais, I have sIovIy ieaIized ihai ihis obseivaiion aIies
beyond Haiii. We aII deend on a heaIihy voiId.
As 6.8 biIIion human beings seeL io saiisIy iheii needs and
desiies on an evei-shiinLing Ianei, ii shouId noi suiiise us
ihai ihe issue oI enviionmeniaI sievaid-
shi oi cieaiion caie is aii oI oui gIobaI
conveisaiion.
WhiIe cIimaie change dominaies ihe
discussion, hundieds oI Iessei Lnovn and
Iess coniioveisiaI enviionmeniaI issues
aie coming io a head.
Maiine secies ve used io ihinL veie
inIiniie in numbei aie vanishing ai aIaim-
ing iaies. HaII oI ihe voiId`s iimaies aie
in dangei oI exiinciion. Iiogs and bees
aie disaeaiing. Iiesh vaiei is becom-
ing incieasingIy scaice. DeIoiesiaiion is
ieducing iainIaII, soiI IeiiiIiiy, and vaiei iesouices in many
aiis oI ihe voiId. In Iighi oI ihese ieaIiiies, vhai is oui ioIe
as Chiisiians?
TO SERVE AND PROTECT
Iiom ihe veiy beginning, caiing Ioi ihe eaiih ihai God cieaied
has been a IundameniaI aii oI oui ioIe.
In Genesis 2:I, Adam is Iaced in ihe gaiden io seive (XYX[)
and ioieci (j_XdXi) ii. 1hioughoui ihe OId 1esiameni ve aie
ieminded ihai ihe Laiih is ihe Loid`s and ihai oui ioIe is one
oI sievaidshiiemoiaiy caieiaLeis vho viII one day be
caIIed io accouni Ioi hov veII ve have dischaiged oui duiies.
1his is ieinIoiced in ReveIaiion II:I8, vhich says 1udgmeni Day
viII biing ihe desiiuciion oI ihose vho desiioy ihe eaiih.
Sciiiuie aIso indicaies a diieci coiieIaiion beiveen ihe
behavioi oI humans and ihe heaIih oI ihe eaiih. 1he giound is
cuised as a iesuIi oI Adam`s sin. Laiei, in ihe sioiy oI ihe IIood,
human sin iesuIis in ihe desiiuciion oI mosi IiIe on eaiih. Whai
is saied is saved ihiough ihe aciive aiiiciaiion oI Noah. In
1eiemiah I2:4 and many oihei assages, ve see ihe Iand and
iis cieaiuies suIIeiing as a diieci iesuIi oI sin.
Cuised is ihe giound because oI you; ihiough ainIuI ioiI
you viII eai oI ii aII ihe days oI youi IiIe (Gen. 8:I7). Much oI
ihe voiId has gone io gieai ends io miiigaie ihe consequences
oI ihe Adamic cuise. We have disianced ouiseIves Iiom ihe
hysicaI Iaboi oI ioducing Iood (and viih
ihai, bioughi a numbei oI uniniended con-
sequences). Bui Ioi hundieds oI miIIions oI
subsisience and neai-subsisience Iaimeis
voiIdvide, ihe cuise`s ainIuI ioiI is a Iun-
dameniaI aseci oI IiIe. I cIeaiIy iemembei
an aIieinoon seni Ianiing beans on a iocLy
mouniainside in Haiii, my bIoody hands and
aching bacL iemindeis oI ihe daiIy ieaIiiy my
bioiheis and sisieis Iived.
Yei as ihe PsaIms maLe cIeai, cieaiioneven cieaiion bioLen
by singives gIoiy io God. When 1ob caIIs God io accouni,
God shovs 1ob his gieainess by oiniing io his cieaiion, and
ieminds 1ob oI his need Ioi humiIiiy in ihe Iace oI ihings he
doesn`i undeisiand (1ob 88-4I). 1his assage aIso gives a
gIimse oI ihe deIighi God iaLes in ihe eaiih. PsaIm Iu4 Iui-
ihei emhasizes ihis, as veII as ihe seciaI ieIaiionshi God
has viih his cieaiuies, indeendeni oI humaniiy. LiLe 1ob, ve
need io Ieain ihai ve aie noi aIvays ihe
ceniei oI ihe sioiy.
IoIIoving in Adam`s Iooisies, ve
aie siiII caIIed io be sievaids oI cieaiion,
vhich siiII beIongs io God. Bui oui ioIe
nov goes Iuiihei. PauI ieIIs us in Romans
8:22 ihai cieaiion is gioaning as iI in
chiIdbiiih, aniiciaiing iedemiion and
eageiIy vaiiing Ioi ihe chiIdien oI God
io be ieveaIed. As God`s chiIdien, ve aie
a aii oI ihis good nevs Ioi cieaiion
a cieaiion ihai uniiI nov has suIIeied
due io oui sin and gieed. God`s Ian oI
iedemiion is iniended as good nevs noi jusi Ioi us bui Ioi
ihe enviionmeni as veII. WhiIe onIy God can IinaIIy iedeem
ihe cieaiion, ve aie his agenis in biinging a Ioieiasie oI ihai
iedemiion. As Chiisiians, oui enviionmeniaI iesonsibiIiiy
is avesome and humbIing.
THE UNINSULATED POOR
Ii is moie ihan an issue oI obedience and humiIiiy. Lnviionmen-
iaI sievaidshi is aIso a jusiice issue. 1heie is no need io ii-
oiiiize beiveen Iove oI neighboi and caie Ioi God`s cieaiion.
In ihe Uniied Siaies and Luioe, ii is easy io Ioigei ihai
ihe eaiih is oui IiIe-suoii sysiem. Ioi ioo many oI us, vaiei
comes in Iasiic boiiIes, and Iood comes Iiom a sueimaiLei.
We see ihe enviionmeni as a Iuxuiy.
Yei ihe ooiesi eoIe in ihe voiId aie noi so insuIaied.
When ihe iain doesn`i come, eoIe siaive. When soiI eiodes,
IamiIies go hungiy. When vaiei geis oIIuied, chiIdien gei
iniesiinaI diseases. When aII ihe iiees aie cui dovn, vomen
vaIL houis Ioi Iiievood. When ihe Iand is deIoiesied, vaiei-
sheds no Iongei Iunciion, causing iiveis and siieams io diy
u. When ihe iain does come, deadIy IandsIides ensue. Ioi
mosi oI ihe eoIe viih vhom I have voiLed ovei ihe asi I
yeais, iheii soiI and iheii vaiei aie viiiuaIIy iheii onIy asseis.
Pieseiving and susiainabIy using ihose asseis, so as noi io Iui-
ihei degiade ihose ecosysiemsseiving cieaiion as sievaids
becomes ceniiaI io seiving ihose eoIe.
One eIiiisi siieam in ihe secuIai enviion-
meniaI movemeni has seen cieaiion soIeIy in
ieims oI iis iecieaiionaI ossibiIiiies. Iiom ihis
eiseciive, humans, and eseciaIIy ihe ooi,
can onIy be buidens on ihe Iand. Ii has been
easy Ioi Noiih Ameiicans io imagine viIdei-
ness as someihing ihai is besi IeIi uniouched
by human inIIuence.
In iiuih, iheie is haidIy such a ihing as
Key Christian leaders respond to
this article at ChristianityToday
.com/go/conversation. Post your
own comments to become part
of the Global Conversation about
important issues related to world
evangelization in preparation
for the Lausanne Movements
Cape Town 2010 conference.
We have little choice
as to whether we
will interact with
creation. But we
can choose whether
our interactions
will be life-giving
or death-dealing.
J u l y 2 0 1 0 | C H R I S T I A N I T Y T O D A Y 29
uniouched viIdeiness. 1he iainIoiesis oI ihe Amazon and ihe
Souih PaciIic and ihe iaiiies oI Noiih Ameiica veie aII shaed
by human inIIuence. Iuiiheimoie, io see cieaiion as someihing
humans shouId Ieave uniouched is io ignoie oui sievaidshi
ioIe. God caIIs us io aiiiciaie in naiuie, coniiibuiing io and
ensuiing iis IiuiiIuIness. We have IiiiIe choice as io vheihei
ve viII inieiaci viih cieaiion. Bui ve can choose vheihei oui
inieiaciions viII be IiIe-giving oi deaih-deaIing. Oui ciiizenshi
in God`s Lingdom shouId inIoim ihis choice.
1he coming oI God`s Lingdom has changed oui IundameniaI
ieaIiiy. We Iove oui enemies and seive oui neigh-
bois. SimiIaiIy, ihough ve siiII exeiience ihe
eIIecis oI ihe cuise, ve can siiive io voiL
viih God`s naiuiaI sysiems insiead oI
againsi ihem. Ovei and ovei in oui
voiL viih susiainabIe agiicuI-
iuie, ve have discoveied ihai
ve have ihai choice. Weeds
siiII giov and cios siiII IaiI,
oI couise, bui ve can voiL in
such a vay as io give bacL io
cieaiion, mimicLing iis IeiiiI-
iiy cycIes. 1he moie cIoseIy
agiicuIiuie mimics naiuiaI
ecosysiems, ihe moie sus-
iainabIe ii is. AgioIoiesiiy, ei-
macuIiuie, comosiing Iaiiines,
and even iecycIing aie examIes
in vhich ihese iinciIes aie ui io
voiL.
FROM ENVIRONMENT TO EVANGELISM
God`s abiIiiy io voiL ihings iogeihei Ioi good is obvious
in ihe iniiicaie vays ihai ecosysiems Iii iogeihei. Noihing is
vasied; eveiyihing has iis niche. Lveiyvheie, IiIe siings Ioiih
Iiom deaih, and iesuiieciion is Ioieshad-
oved. Beyond seeLing meieIy io ieduce
oui Iooiiini, ve can seeL io be iesioiaiive
in oui ieIaiionshi viih ihe eaiih.
On a gIobaI scaIe, iesioiaiion is a monu-
meniaI iasL. We aie unIiLeIy io achieve ii
ihis side oI Chiisi`s ieiuin, any moie ihan
ve aie IiLeIy io biing aboui voiId eace
by iuining ihe oihei cheeL. Hovevei,
Lingdom ihinLing can seive io guide oui
Ianning and oui individuaI choices. Ai
PIani viih Puiose, ve have seen iesioiaiion haen. Riveis
and siieams ihai had viiheied have begun io IIov again due io
usiieam soIuiions. 1hey have become oveiIuI iIIusiiaiions
oI God`s abiIiiy io iedeem and iesioie, boih Ioi us and Ioi ihe
Iaimeis viih vhom ve aie siiiving io shaie Chiisi`s Iove.
In indusiiiaIized couniiies, vheie ve aie shieIded Iiom
ihe diieci IeedbacL oI ihe Iand, ve have much io Ieain Iiom
oui bioiheis and sisieis in subsisience-Iaiming couniiies. Ioi
examIe, I have undeisiood much moie deeIy ihe connec-
iion beiveen enviionmeniaI degiadaiion and miseiy among
Haiiian Iaimeis ihan in bioIogy cIasses in ihe U.S. I have been
veiy imiessed viih ihe seiiousness viih vhich AIiican, Laiin
Ameiican, and Asian chuich Ieadeis have embiaced cieaiion
caie. When Caie oI Cieaiion, an enviionmeniaI missions agency,
hosied a God and Cieaiion conIeience in Kenya, ii vas IiIIed
io caaciiy viih asiois and Ieadeis Iiom aII ovei Lasi AIiica.
SimiIai conIeiences in ihe U.S. have siiuggIed io gei moie ihan
a handIuI io aiiend.
Iuiiheimoie, AIiican conIeience aiiendance iesuIied in
aciion. One 1anzanian asioi encouiaged aII ihe chuiches in
his iegion io esiabIish iiee nuiseiies. 1hey iequiied
ihose going ihiough conIiimaiion cIasses io
Iani iiees in oidei io giaduaie. As a
iesuIi, ovei uu,uuu iiees have been
Ianied, and an imoiiani vaiei
souice ihai had become inieimii-
ieni nov IIovs sieadiIy.
1his is goseI voiL. PauI
ieminds us in Romans I:2u
ihai cieaiion ieveaIs much
aboui God. As such, ii is a
eiIeci siaiiing oini Ioi a
conveisaiion aboui vhai ve
can Ieain oI God`s chaiaciei
Iiom his Woid. Lnviion-
meniaI sievaidshi can be
an iniegiaI aii oI God`s sioiy
oI iedemiion.
Ii can aIso oen many doois.
SeveiaI PIani viih Puiose suoii-
eis have ioId me ihai iheii invoIvemeni
has iovided ooiiuniiies io shaie Chiisi viih
enviionmeniaIisi Iiiends oi coIIeagues. My coIIeagues in
ihe cieaiion caie communiiy have had couniIess chances io
engage viih communiiies ihai vouId oiheivise be cIosed io us.
Ai ihe same iime, conveisaiions viih ooi
Iaimeis aboui ihe Iand and soiI have given
us eiIeci ooiiuniiies io iniegiaie ihe
goseI sioiy inio oui voiL. AIiei aII, ihe
BibIe begins ihe sioiy in ihe same Iace,
viih cieaiion, eaiih, and soiI.
Much oI ihe voiId is eiihei diieciIy
suIIeiing as a iesuIi oI enviionmeniaI
degiadaiion oi ieaciing in numb desaii
io gIoomy iediciions. Boih gious des-
eiaieIy need ihe hoe oI 1esus Chiisi.
Ii is ihe hoe ihey Iong Ioi, a hoe ihai seaLs diieciIy io ihe
iedemiion oI aII cieaiion and ieminds ihem ihai God Ioves
ihe cosmos.
1he goseI is Ioi eveiyoneIiom diii Iaimeis io enviion-
meniaI aciivisis. Ii is good nevs ihai God caies aboui aII ihai
he has cieaied.
Scott Sabin is executive director of Plant with Purpose
(PlantwithPurpose.org), a Christian nonprofit organization that
reverses deforestation and poverty.
Rivers and streams
that had withered
now ow again.
They are powerful
illustrations of Gods
ability to redeem
and restore.
8