Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Corporation for Public Broadcasting to Close After Funding Cut, in Blow to Local Media

5 hours ago

‘Freedom Week’: California Gun Owners Rush to Buy Ammo After Court Ruling

8 hours ago

Wall Street Selloff Sparked by Trump Tariffs, Amazon Results, Weak Payrolls

9 hours ago

US Construction Spending Extends Decline in June

9 hours ago

Global Shares in Red After US Jobs Data, Trump’s Tariff Salvo

9 hours ago

Construction of $200M Trump Ballroom at the White House to Begin in September

1 day ago

US Senate Committee Backs $1 Billion for Ukraine in Pentagon Spending Bill

1 day ago

Trump Says Mexico Trade Deal Extended for 90 Days

1 day ago

Fresno Unified Trustee Susan Wittrup Responds to $162,000 Payout

2 days ago
Opinion: Does Jesus Want Christians to Be Environmentalists?
Inside-Sources
By InsideSources.com
Published 7 months ago on
December 24, 2024

A Christian advocate argues that environmental stewardship is a divine mandate and calls for action on climate change. (GV Wire Composite/David Rodriguez)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

As Christmas approaches, I know that my Christian friends will ask me why I chose to work for the environmental nonprofit Earthday.org instead of engaging in hands-on field ministry. My answer — look at the headlines. Wildfires, rising oceans, coral bleaching, species extinction, deforestation, climate refugees — all part of climate change. For me, the question should be, “Does Jesus want me to do this work?”

Author Profile Picture

Libby Bunch

Opinion

I am pretty sure he does.

Many will skim read that in 2020, climate-related disasters forced 30 million people to flee their homes, three times the number displaced by wars, and then continue to blithely scroll on their phones looking for celebrity gossip. Because it is not their problem. This sense of apathy is a tragedy for all of us, but for those of us who are Christians, our inaction is even harder to understand.

God’s Mandate for Environmental Stewardship

God’s first vocation in Genesis 1:26 is to give human beings dominion over creation and all its creatures. For too many of us in the Christian community, this means giving us authority over creation and justifying human mastery over nature. This perspective justifies exploiting the Earth’s natural resources.

This interpretation is indicative of the danger of interpreting a single line of scripture without considering the broader context of the Bible. Theologians who advocate for this contextual approach, like the Creation Care Movement, interpret Genesis 1:26 in light of Genesis 2:15 where God tells Adam and Eve “to work and to keep.”

Taken together, these commands show a divine mandate to embody a holistic commitment to nurturing and protecting the Earth and its inhabitants, not pillaging it. This perspective frames environmental stewardship as an act of worship.

Love Thy Neighbor: A Call for Climate Justice

In Matthew 22:36-40, it is laid out more clearly — we are commanded to love God and to love our neighbor. Which, for Christians, should mean acknowledging the need for justice for our marginalized neighbors in the Global South who bear the burden of climate change. I got to see this firsthand during while studying in Tanzania, working with the Maasai people. Their traditional way of life — cattle herding — has been devastated by climate change. Once abundant rivers are now dry, and the animals that depend on the rivers are dying in record heat.

It forces me to ask myself how can I call myself a Christian, how can I say that I am a follower of Jesus, who preached justice and love, and sit by while these innocent people, who don’t even use fossil fuels, suffer? As Christians, we must speak up; to act, we must defend the people of the Global South. We know the solution — it’s called renewable energy.

The Clean Energy Revolution: A Path Forward

Solar, wind and hydroelectric power are viable alternatives to fossil fuels that don’t contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. The clean energy revolution is already underway. California and Florida are at the forefront of the solar power boom in the United States. Texas now leads in wind energy generation, and more than 50 percent of Denmark’s electricity is from wind. Brazil has harnessed hydro-electric energy while Kenya’s geothermal power accounts for nearly half of its energy generation.

This brings me back to Earthday.org, which has chosen “Our Power, Our Planet” as next year’s Earth Day theme, focusing on the promotion of renewable energy. For me, working here is an act of honoring God’s creation and His call to protect it.

We must not allow the fossil fuel industry to prioritize profit over the stewardship of our planet, allowing the interests of a few CEOs to hinder the transition to renewable energy, which benefits us all. Moreover, transitioning away from fossil fuels will prevent 89,000 premature deaths from respiratory and other illnesses.

As a follower of Jesus, inaction in the face of this global injustice is no longer an option. The wider Christian community must embrace the role of stewards of creation by advocating for and investing in renewable energy solutions that not only honor God’s creation but also support our global neighbors. As Christians, we must do more than pray for change — we must be the change.

About the Author

Libby Bunch is the campus outreach associate for Earthday.org. She wrote this for InsideSources.com.

Make Your Voice Heard

GV Wire encourages vigorous debate from people and organizations on local, state, and national issues. Submit your op-ed to bmcewen@gvwire.com for consideration.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

US Judges Speak Out About Death Threats, ‘Swattings,’ and ‘Pizza Doxings’

DON'T MISS

It’s Raining Cash for Some 2026 Fresno City Council Hopefuls

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Finds E. Coli at Avocado Lake. Don’t Swim There

DON'T MISS

Trump Fires US Labor Department’s Statistical Leader After Weaker Than Expected Jobs Report

DON'T MISS

Corporation for Public Broadcasting to Close After Funding Cut, in Blow to Local Media

DON'T MISS

Trump Eyes Bringing Azerbaijan, Central Asian Nations Into Abraham Accords, Sources Say

DON'T MISS

Farmers in West Fresno County to Consider 200% Groundwater Pumping Fee Hike

DON'T MISS

Trump Orders Nuclear Submarines Moved Near Russia

DON'T MISS

Fresno Councilmember Vang Accused of Conflict of Interest in Budget Vote

DON'T MISS

Ghislaine Maxwell Moved From Florida Prison to Lower-Security Facility

UP NEXT

Fresno County Finds E. Coli at Avocado Lake. Don’t Swim There

UP NEXT

Trump Fires US Labor Department’s Statistical Leader After Weaker Than Expected Jobs Report

UP NEXT

Corporation for Public Broadcasting to Close After Funding Cut, in Blow to Local Media

UP NEXT

Trump Eyes Bringing Azerbaijan, Central Asian Nations Into Abraham Accords, Sources Say

UP NEXT

Farmers in West Fresno County to Consider 200% Groundwater Pumping Fee Hike

UP NEXT

Trump Orders Nuclear Submarines Moved Near Russia

UP NEXT

Fresno Councilmember Vang Accused of Conflict of Interest in Budget Vote

UP NEXT

Ghislaine Maxwell Moved From Florida Prison to Lower-Security Facility

UP NEXT

Trump Escalates Trade War With Canada Following Palestine Stance

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Scott Oscar Whitehead

Trump Fires US Labor Department’s Statistical Leader After Weaker Than Expected Jobs Report

4 hours ago

Corporation for Public Broadcasting to Close After Funding Cut, in Blow to Local Media

5 hours ago

Trump Eyes Bringing Azerbaijan, Central Asian Nations Into Abraham Accords, Sources Say

5 hours ago

Farmers in West Fresno County to Consider 200% Groundwater Pumping Fee Hike

6 hours ago

Trump Orders Nuclear Submarines Moved Near Russia

6 hours ago

Fresno Councilmember Vang Accused of Conflict of Interest in Budget Vote

7 hours ago

Ghislaine Maxwell Moved From Florida Prison to Lower-Security Facility

7 hours ago

Trump Escalates Trade War With Canada Following Palestine Stance

7 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Scott Oscar Whitehead

8 hours ago

‘Freedom Week’: California Gun Owners Rush to Buy Ammo After Court Ruling

8 hours ago

US Judges Speak Out About Death Threats, ‘Swattings,’ and ‘Pizza Doxings’

United States judges spoke out against the unprecedented surge in violence and disturbing threats made against members of the judicial branc...

2 hours ago

United States judges speaking about receiving violent threats over rulings
2 hours ago

US Judges Speak Out About Death Threats, ‘Swattings,’ and ‘Pizza Doxings’

Fresno city hall with council campaign finance money
3 hours ago

It’s Raining Cash for Some 2026 Fresno City Council Hopefuls

E. coli identified at avocado lake
4 hours ago

Fresno County Finds E. Coli at Avocado Lake. Don’t Swim There

President Donald Trump speaks at a dinner with Republican Senators, in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 18, 2025. (Reuters File)
4 hours ago

Trump Fires US Labor Department’s Statistical Leader After Weaker Than Expected Jobs Report

Breaking News from Reuters
5 hours ago

Corporation for Public Broadcasting to Close After Funding Cut, in Blow to Local Media

President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 31, 2025. (Reuters File)
5 hours ago

Trump Eyes Bringing Azerbaijan, Central Asian Nations Into Abraham Accords, Sources Say

6 hours ago

Farmers in West Fresno County to Consider 200% Groundwater Pumping Fee Hike

President Donald Trump speaks after disembarking Marine One, as he departs for Scotland, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., July 25, 2025. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)
6 hours ago

Trump Orders Nuclear Submarines Moved Near Russia

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend