Fri-Sun. Retreat at the Baker Family Farm in the mountains of VA. Lots of food, hanging out, horseback riding, hiking, worship, and relaxing.

As always, I see church signs while I’m traveling about Greensboro.  This week I saw a sign that said “Don’t Use People and Love Things; Love People and Use Things.”

At first, this seems like a healthy admonition.  But a closer look (at least to me) reveals the problems that are present in this statement.  The glaring problem that I see is that we are only commanded to love people.  But what about creation?  What about the animals that God so generously gave us to care for?  The command to use things leads me to think that we can use money, materials, cars, anything—especially creation.  Perhaps I’m taking this too far—you may say that the person who put the sign there never intended for me to think this much about it.  But I worry about those who see that sign and don’t think—the folks who may actually try to follow the command that is given.  I say this because I continue to be frustrated about the way the planet is used and treated.  So many people exploit it and think nothing of it. 

Well, now it’s my turn to admonish: You must love all of creation.  Use only what you must, and with great respect.  It doesn’t matter if you think Jesus is coming back and we’re all gonna be beamed up into heaven—we are here now, and God gave this place to us to love and care for.  And it doesn’t matter if you think animals are dumb, without emotions, and without a soul (I don’t agree with that assessment by the way).  You still must show them respect—if you have one in your care (regardless of why), you must care for it.  An animal is not a machine.

 Maybe this seems like common sense.  I wish it were.  If my words were common knowledge, there would be no need to write them.  The environmentalists of the world would be looking for work in a different field, and all the animal rescue groups would have to shut down.  But I hope for that time to come.  I believe a world reconciled with God would look a lot like the one I just described.  People would love one another, regardless of faith, appearance, social class, or gender.  We would live on the land as a part of it, rather than apart from it.  And we would treat animals with kindness and appreciation, especially if we must eat them.