Respecting All of God’s Creation
A devotional thought from Marty Duren for “Christian Care”
Have you ever taken time to reflect on the intricate balance of creation? From the center of an atom with protons, electrons, and neutrons, to the “fine-tuning” that makes life on earth possible, God’s attention to sustaining His creation is evident.
Science has thus far named four forces (the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, the electromagnetic force, and gravity), each of which must exist in their exact strength or else disaster would occur. If the strength of gravity changed by even a tiny fraction of a percent—enough so that you would be one billionth of a gram heavier or lighter—the universe would have been so different, without stars, galaxies, or planets. And without planets, there would be no life.
Colossians 1:17 reminds us that Jesus “is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.” The physical laws that sustain creation are only extensions of His power. That God maintains all He has made, both animate and inanimate, demonstrates His love and kindness toward the creation. The awe of creation should lead us to respect.
Virginia farmer and author Joel Salatin warns: “In our culture today essentially we view pigs as just inanimate piles of protoplasmic structure to be manipulated however cleverly hubris can imagine to manipulate them. And I would suggest to you that a culture that would abuse its life forms in that kind of egocentric, arrogant, manipulative paradigm will view its citizens the same way.” 1 In other words, if we do not respect the simpler beings in God’s creation, we will disrespect humanity as well.
This broader spectrum of respect is mentioned in Proverbs 12:10: “A righteous man cares about his animal’s health.” Each component of God’s creation plays its part. We should rejoice in God’s abundant goodness and offer respect to the rest of the created order with which we await the final redemption.
Pause and Reflect
• Does the fine-tuning of the universe testify to you the wisdom and power of God? How so?
• Are you surprised to see Scripture deal with care for animals? Does this bring a new understanding of God’s care for the birds (Matt. 6:26)?
• What are some practical ways to demonstrate respect for the animals in creation?
1. “Fighting the Earth-Worshipping Stereotype of Alternative Living with Joel Salatin–Episode 145” [online, cited 11 October 2013]. Available from the Internet: www.offthegridnews.com/2013/02/21/fighting-the-earth-worshipping-stereotype-of-alternative-living-transcribed.
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