Mother Earth

Acts 19:23 And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. 24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. 25 He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: "Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. 26 Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.

It was G.K. Chesterton - and many others - who said, “If a man will not believe in God he will believe in anything.”

The Bible puts it this way, Psalm 53:1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

And the educated humanists in this world continue to demonstrate the truth of these statements. As we “celebrate” Earth Day this week, I have to ask, what are we celebrating?

I celebrate the earth as being an example of God’s wonderful and fantastically beautiful creation. Others would deny that, and instead celebrate a concept as empty as ‘Mother Earth.’ Even before I was a Christian, I wondered about this postulation known of as ‘Mother Earth.’ Who is she? Where is she from? Always sounded like a fairy tale.

We are bombarded with the principle of living ‘green’ lives. I enjoy watching Americans struggle to maintain their standard of life – at the same time they go ‘green.’ On HGTV I see going ‘green’ means using concrete counter-tops in extravagant kitchens, or reclaimed barn-wood in the floors of your 4500 square foot house.

Do we practice environmentalism as God directs us to be good stewards of His planet – or do we practice environmentalism because right now this so-called ‘environmentalism’ has become a god? Questions like these are always answered by one question: Who do we worship?

On ‘Earth Day,’ I see some people worshiping the earth. A big old rock. The media, our schools, our businesses, all suggesting – even commanding us - to worship the creation while denying the Creator. As politically incorrect as it may be for me to say so, I am in shock over people’s willingness to bow down to creation. Admire it, yes. Revel in it, yes. Protect it to the best of our ability, yes. But worship it? Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.

(Even God’s hands.)

- Pastor Bill