Climate change.

In spite of having been scanned from a newspaper (hence the 'shadows' from the other side of the page!), the picture is quite striking! Tears appear to be gushing from a face, carved into the Arctic ice-cap by melting water. The accompanying article states that “The image has been likened to the Earth goddess Gaia’s reaction to the deteriorating condition of her world”.

I am as aware as anyone, of the negative effects of the forecast climate change (a more accurate form of terminology as, looking out at the rain falling steadily on Motherwell, and with a thermometer showing only 12C, it can hardly be recognised as ‘global warming’!). However, while endeavouring to do my own little bit to limit CO2 emissions, and shocked at the headline in the same newspaper that informs me that “Throwaway food costs £1bn a year”, and refers to the vast amount of perfectly good food (some not even having been unwrapped, and well within its ‘use by’ limit) that is dumped, each year, in Scotland alone, I am a wee bit concerned that, as a society, we are worshipping the creature rather than the Creator (see Rom.1:25).

It is undoubtedly true that the average schoolchild knows much more about the negative effects of climate change, than about the sinfulness of mankind, and the Gospel that offers salvation! It is obviously acceptable to publish the claimed reaction of “the Earth goddess Gaia … to the deteriorating condition of her world”. Yet some of the letters that I send to The Herald (not the newspaper from which the photograph was taken!) that would emphasise a Biblical lifestyle/perspective, never see the light of day (the one reproduced below was not used!).

By all means, let us all practice Biblical stewardship, that recognises that “The earth is YHWH's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him.” (Ps.24:1). But let us not make the mistake of putting the cart before the horse, and making a ‘god’ out of that which was created “In the beginning …” (Gen.1:1), and that is in the sorry state in which it is now found because of the sinful selfishness and greed of mankind.