Creation Care: Our First Commission - Story

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Before the Great Commission came the first commission: 'God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature"' (Genesis 1:28). The Hebrew word for 'rule' (radah) implies responsible stewardship, not destructive dominance. Environmental care isn't political agenda—it's biblical mandate. Lutheran theology emphasizes that we're simultaneously saints and sinners living in a fallen world. This applies to creation care: we're called to be good stewards while recognizing our limitations. We can't save the planet, but we can faithfully tend the garden God has entrusted to us. Romans 8:19-22 reveals creation's longing: 'We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.' Creation waits for redemption alongside humanity. Our environmental practices are part of kingdom living, anticipating the new heaven and new earth. Psalm 24:1 reminds us: 'The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.' We're not owners but caretakers. This transforms how we consume resources, dispose of waste, and make lifestyle choices. Climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss are moral issues because they disproportionately impact the poor and vulnerable—those Scripture repeatedly calls us to protect. Creation care connects to neighbor love: environmental degradation harms God's children, especially those least able to adapt.