Shalom: When World Environment Day Meets The Old Testament
On June 5, 1974, the City of Spokane in the USA celebrated the first World Environment Day. Since then, countries, citizens, governments and businesses come together to celebrate World Environment Day (June 5) and World Oceans Day (June 7) and set a focus each year on addressing an urgent issue, such as deforestation or air pollution.
As we learned in previous articles, creation is in peril. From the carbon pollution in the atmosphere that is reaching dangerous levels, to the destruction of forest ecosystems, and continued pollution in the oceans, God’s creation is suffering everywhere.
But what does the Bible have to say about this? In this month’s Bible study, we will look at God’s commandments on how to manage creation.
When the Israelites left Egypt, God provided commands in the books of Numbers, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy that illustrate a different relationship with each other and with the earth. In parallel to how God’s people were to live distinctively and differently from the cultures around them, the way they were to care for the Earth was meant to be distinctive than their neighboring nations.
God’s vision for God’s people is a community centered around Shalom. The word “shalom”, which means peace, has multiple layers and meanings. Theologian Howard Snyder explains that this peace is three-fold: a peace with God, a peace with one another, and a peace with creation. This sense of Shalom goes beyond just countries and nations living peacefully- it extends into the rest of the created order. This peace with creation is consistent with God’s commandments in the garden of Eden and with the Noahic covenant.
Here are two of the verses that speak to God’s vision of Shalom:
"You shall not pollute the land in which you live.... You shall not defile the land in which you live, in which I also dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the Israelites." (Numbers 35:33-34)
Throughout the land that you hold, you shall provide for the redemption of the land." (Leviticus 25:23-24)
God commands His people to not pollute the land on which they live and to actively restore and care for the land entrusted to them. Land use then becomes both an issue of caring for the earth, and caring for people. Rather an exploitative approach that seeks to maximize profit and wealth above everything else, a land-use centered around shalom includes respect for the living and created world.
There are many modern examples of Christians caring for the land consistent with the principles of Shalom. For example, Randall and Edith Woodley lead the Eloheh Centre for Earth Justice. The Eloheh Centre focuses on preserving rare seed plants, teaching and promoting Indigenous agricultural and gardening methods, and operating as a teaching and learning center. The A Rocha Canada center in British Columbia includes a working vegetable farm, an educational center for youth and children, and conducts projects to restore the Little Salmon creek and watershed.
Other communities have developed their own local sustainability plans and other plans focusing on sustainable land management. For example, the Canadian town of Campbell River has developed its own local agricultural plan, to ensure that the town is self-sufficient in growing food locally. Recent initiatives in California and Maine involve states transferring lands to tribal governments and or co-managing lands with tribes, utilizing Traditional Ecological Knowledge to promote biodiversity and conservation (Grist, 2021).
These local models are alternatives to the dominant model of a consumption-based economy based on exploitation. They could also be considered as signposts to the vision of Shalom outlined in the Old Testament Scriptures with their focus on respect for creation, sustainability, and ensuring the preservation of ecosystems so that both human and non-human communities flourish. They could also be considered signposts of local community resilience in the face of climate change.
Following the way of shalom in managing lands is a way of following God’s commands to care for creation and offers hope to the current destruction and harm being done to God’s creation as a result of sin.
References:
1.How returning lands to Native tribes is helping to protect nature. Grist, 2021: https://grist.org/politics/how-returning-lands-to-native-tribes-is-helping-protect-nature/
Go Deeper:
Learn more about Eloheh Centre for Earth Justice: https://www.eloheh.org/the-center-for-earth-justice
Pray:
Tearfund UK is hosting Prayer in the Park during June. TearFund UK describes this event as “A day of prayer in the open air for a breakthrough in the climate crisis”. Set aside a time to pray outdoors this month and follow the resources and liturgy in the guide here: https://www.tearfund.org/campaigns/reboot-campaign/prayer-for-the-climate/prayer-in-the-park
Take Action:
Did you know that plastic take-out containers and other single-use plastics are the culprit to 70% of the plastic pollution in our oceans? Here’s 10 simple ways you can stop using single-use-plastics: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/tips-reduce-plastic/