Earth Day is today, April 22. As Christians we need to spend time thinking about creation.
The Bible, begins, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” After fleshing that out rather extensively, the writer says, “Then God said, ’Let us make man in our own image, in our likeness, and let them rule….”
What does being in the image of God mean? It means at least this — that we are unique from other creatures in that our destiny is fulfilled only in relation to God. Schiller expressed it well when he said that animals and plants received their destiny from nature. But that’s not all — they also fulfill their destiny without incident. The way to their destiny is provided for them by the Creator. But that’s not true with man. Man is only given his destiny. The way he fulfills it he must find out for himself; therefore, there is always the possibility that he might fail.
Helmut Thielicke has commented, “This can be expressed in another way. The embryo of a dog will always become a dog. This process cannot go wrong. But is it equally certain that a human embryo will become a man? May it not become “inhuman”? May it not become someone whom God intended to be totally different, someone who is constantly sabotaging those plans of God for his life, wasting his talent, and throwing away his destiny. Until finally he ends in the pigpen with the prodigal son? May not this too be possible? And, are we not burdened by the fact that sometimes this is precisely what does happen to us?” (Helmut Thielicke, How the World Began (Fortress Press, p. 76).
We must claim and become what God created is to be, “in his image.” As humans, God gave us “dominion” over what he created. Dominion means stewards, managers, protectors, cultivators, humble, gracious and grateful users.