Lutheran
Church (ELCA)
Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America — “Caring
for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice” (1993) http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/Social-Issues/Social-Statements/Environment.aspx
Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice
This social statement was adopted by a more than two-thirds majority
vote as a social statement of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
by the third Churchwide Assembly on August 28, 1993, at Kansas City,
Missouri.
Prologue
Christian concern for the environment is shaped by the Word of God spoken in
creation, the Love of God hanging on a cross, the Breath of God daily renewing
the face of the earth.
We of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are deeply concerned about the
environment, locally and globally, as members of this church and as members of
society. Even as we join the political, economic, and scientific discussion,
we know care for the earth to be a profoundly spiritual matter.
As Lutheran Christians, we confess that both our witness to God's goodness in
creation and our acceptance of caregiving responsibility have often been weak
and uncertain. This statement:
• offers a vision of God's intention for creation and for humanity as creation's
caregivers;
• acknowledges humanity's separation from God and from the rest of creation
as
the central cause of the environmental crisis;
• recognizes the severity of the crisis; and
• expresses hope and heeds the call to justice and commitment.
This statement summons us, in particular, to a faithful return to the biblical
vision.
I. The Church's Vision of Creation
A. God, Earth and All Creatures
We see the despoiling of the environment as nothing less than the degradation
of God's gracious gift of creation.
Scripture
witnesses to God as creator of the earth and all that dwells therein
(Pss 24:1). The creeds, which guide our reading of Scripture,
proclaim God
the Father of Jesus Christ as "maker of heaven and earth," Jesus Christ
as the one "through [whom] all things were made," and the Holy Spirit
as "the Lord, the giver of life" (Nicene Creed).
God blesses
the world and sees it as "good," even before humankind
comes on the scene. All creation, not just humankind, is viewed as "very
good" in God's eyes (Gen 1:31). God continues to bless the world: "When
you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground" (Pss
104:30). By faith we understand God to be deeply, mysteriously, and unceasingly
involved in what happens in all creation. God showers care upon sparrows and
lilies (Mat 6:26-30), and brings "rain on a land where no one lives, on
the desert, which is empty of human life" (Job 38:26).
Central to our vision of God's profound involvement with the world is the Incarnation.
In Christ, the Word is made flesh, with saving significance for an entire creation
that longs for fulfillment (Rom 8:18-25). The Word still comes to us in the waters
of baptism, and in, with, and under the bread and wine, fruits of the earth and
the work of human hands. God consistently meets us where we live, through earthy
matter.
B. Our
Place in CreationHumanity is intimately related to the rest of creation.
We, like
other creatures, are formed from the earth
(Gen 2:7,
9, 19). Scripture
speaks of humanity's kinship with other creatures (Job 38-39;
Pss 104). God cares faithfully for us, and together we join
in singing
the "hymn of all creation" (Lutheran
Book of Worship, page 61; Pss 148). We look forward to a redemption
that includes all creation (Eph 1:10).
Humans, in service to God, have special roles on behalf of
the whole of creation. Made in the image of God, we are called
to care for the earth as God cares for
the earth. God's command to have dominion and subdue the
earth is not a license to dominate and exploit. Human dominion
(Gen 1:28; Ps 8), a special responsibility,
should reflect God's way of ruling as a shepherd king who
takes the form of a servant (Phil 2:7), wearing a crown of
thorns.
According
to Gen 2:15, our role within creation is to serve and to keep God's
garden, the earth. "To serve," often translated "to till," invites
us again to envision ourselves as servants, while "to keep" invites
us to take care of the earth as God keeps and cares for
us (Num 6:24-26).
We are called to name the animals (Gen 2:19-20). As God names
Israel and all creation (Pss 147:4; Isa 40:26, 43:1) and
as the shepherd calls by name each
sheep (John 10:3), naming unites us in a caring relationship.
Further, we are to live within the covenant God makes with
every living thing (Gen 9:12-17; Hos
2:18), and even with the day and night (Jer 33:20). We are
to love the earth as God loves us.
We are called to live according to God's wisdom in creation
(Prov 8), which brings together God's truth and goodness.
Wisdom, God's way of governing creation, is
discerned in every culture and era in various ways. In our
time, science and technology can help us to discover how
to live according to God's creative wisdom.
Such caring, serving, keeping, loving, and living by wisdom
sum up what is meant by acting as God's stewards of the earth.
God's gift of responsibility for the
earth dignifies humanity without debasing the rest of creation.
We depend upon God, who places us in a web of life with one
another and with all creation.
II. The Urgency
A. Sin and Captivity
Not content
to be made in the image of God (Gen 3:5; Ezek 28:1-10), we have rebelled
and disrupted
creation. As did the people of ancient
Israel, we experience nature as an instrument of
God's judgment (cf., Deut 11:13-17; Jer 4:23-28). A disrupted nature
is
a judgment on our unfaithfulness as stewards.
Alienated from God and from creation, and driven
to make a name for ourselves (Gen 11:4), we become
captives to demonic
powers and unjust institutions (Gal
4:9; Eph 6:12; Rev 13:1-4). In our captivity, we
treat the earth as a boundless warehouse and allow
the powerful to
exploit its bounties to their own ends (Amos
5:6-15). Our sin and captivity lie at the roots
of the current crisis.
B. The Current Crisis
The earth
is a planet of beauty and abundance; the earth system is wonderfully
intricate and
incredibly complex. But today living creatures,
and the air, soil, and water that support
them,
face unprecedented threats. Many threats
are global; most stem directly from
human activity. Our current practices
may so alter the living world that it will
be unable to sustain life in the manner we know.
Twin problems--excessive consumption by industrialized
nations, and relentless growth of human population
worldwide--jeopardize
efforts to achieve a sustainable
future. These problems spring from and intensify
social injustices. Global population growth,
for example, relates to the lack
of access by women to family planning
and health care, quality education, fulfilling
employment, and equal rights.
Processes of environmental degradation feed
on one another. Decisions affecting an immediate
locale
often affect the
entire planet. The resulting damages to
environmental systems are frightening:
• depletion of non-renewable resources, especially oil;
• loss of the variety of life through rapid destruction of habitats;
• erosion of topsoil through unsustainable agriculture and forestry practices;
• pollution of air by toxic emissions from industries and vehicles, and
pollution
of water by wastes;
• increasing volumes of wastes; and
• prevalence of acid rain, which damages forests, lakes, and streams.
Even more widespread and serious, according to the preponderance
of evidence from scientists worldwide, are:
• the depletion of the protective ozone layer, resulting from the use of
volatile
compounds containing chlorine and bromine;
and
• dangerous global warming, caused by the buildup of greenhouse gases,
especially
carbon dioxide.
The idea of the earth as a boundless warehouse
has proven both false and dangerous. Damage
to the environment eventually
will affect most people through increased
conflict over scarce resources, decline in
food security, and greater vulnerability
to disease.
Indeed, our church already ministers with
and to people:
• who know firsthand the effects of environmental deterioration because
they work
for polluting industries or live near
incinerators or waste dumps;
• who make choices between preserving the environment and damaging it further
in
order to live wastefully or merely
to survive; and
• who can no longer make their living from forests, seas, or soils that
are either
depleted or protected by law.
In our ministry, we learn about the extent
of the environmental crisis, its complexities,
and the
suffering it entails. Meeting
the needs of today's generations for food,
clothing, and shelter requires a sound environment.
Action to counter degradation, especially
within this decade, is
essential to the future of our children and
our children's children. Time is very short.
III. The Hope
A. The Gift of Hope
Sin and
captivity, manifest in threats to the environment, are not the last
word.
God addresses our predicament
with gifts of "forgiveness of sins, life,
and salvation" (Luther, Small
Catechism). By the cross and resurrection
of Jesus
Christ, God frees
us
from our
sin and captivity,
and empowers
us to be loving servants to creation.
Although
we remain sinners, we are freed from our old captivity to sin.
We are
now driven
to God's
promise
of blessings
yet to come.
Only by
God's promise
are
we no longer captives of demonic
powers or unjust institutions. We are captives
of hope
(Zech 9:11-12).
Captured by
hope, we proclaim that God
has made peace
with all things through the blood
of the cross (Col 1:15-20), and that the
Spirit
of God, "the giver of life," renews
the face of the earth.
Captured
by hope, we dream dreams and look forward to a new creation.
God
does not
just heal this
creation wounded
by
human sin. God
will one day
consummate
all things in "new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home" (2Pet
3:13). Creation--now in captivity
to disruption and death--will know
the
freedom it awaits.
B. Hope in Action
We testify
to the hope that inspires and encourages us. We announce this
hope to every
people, and
witness to the renewing work
of the Spirit of God. We are to be a herald here and now
to the
new creation yet to come, a
living model.
Our tradition
offers many glimpses of hope triumphant over despair.
In ancient
Israel,
as Jerusalem
was under siege
and people were
on the verge
of exile,
Jeremiah purchased a plot of
land (Jer 32). When Martin Luther was
asked what
he would
do if the world were to end tomorrow,
he reportedly answered, "I would plant
an apple tree today." When
we face today's crisis, we do
not despair.
We
act.
IV. The Call to Justice
Caring, serving, keeping, loving, and living
by wisdom--these translate into justice in
political,
economic, social, and
environmental relationships. Justice
in these relationships means honoring the
integrity of creation, and striving for fairness
within the
human family.
It is in hope of God's promised fulfillment
that we hear the call to justice; it is in
hope that
we take action. When
we act interdependently and in solidarity
with creation, we do justice. We serve and
keep the earth, trusting its bounty can be
sufficient
for all, and sustainable.
A. Justice Through Participation
We live within the covenant God makes with
all living things, and are in relationship
with them.
The principle of participation
means they are entitled to be heard
and to have their interests considered when
decisions are made.
Creation must be given voice, present generations
and those to come. We must listen to the
people who fish the sea, harvest
the forest, till the soil, and
mine the earth, as well as to those who advance
the conservation, protection, and preservation
of the environment.
We recognize numerous obstacles to participation.
People often lack the political or economic
power to participate
fully. They are bombarded with manipulated
information, and are prey to the pressures
of special interests.
The interests of the rest of creation are
inadequately represented in human
decisions.
We pray, therefore, that our church may be
a place where differing groups can be brought
together,
tough issues considered,
and a common good pursued.
B. Justice Through Solidarity
Creation depends on the Creator, and is interdependent
within itself. The principle of solidarity
means that we stand together
as God's creation.
We are called to acknowledge this interdependence
with other creatures and to act locally and
globally on behalf of all
creation. Furthermore, solidarity also
asks us to stand with the victims of fire,
floods, earthquakes, storms, and other natural
disasters.
We recognize, however, the many ways we have
broken ranks with creation. The land and
its inhabitants
are often disenfranchised
by the rich and powerful.
The degradation of the environment occurs
where people have little or no voice in decisions
--
because of racial, gender,
or economic discrimination. This degradation
aggravates their situation and swells the
numbers of those trapped in urban or rural
poverty.
We pray, therefore, for the humility and
wisdom to stand with and for creation, and
the fortitude
to support advocates
whose efforts are made at personal risk.
C. Justice Through Sufficiency
The earth and its fullness belong to the
Lord. No person or group has absolute claim
to the earth
or its products.
The principle of sufficiency means meeting
the basic needs of all humanity and all creation.
In a world of finite resources, for all to
have enough means that those with more than
enough will
have to change their
patterns of acquisition and consumption.
Sufficiency charges us to work with each
other and the environment to meet needs without
causing
undue burdens elsewhere.
Sufficiency also urges us to care for arable
land so that sufficient food and fiber continue
to be
available to meet
human needs. We affirm, therefore, the
many stewards of the land who have been and
are conserving the good earth that the Lord
has given
us.
We recognize many forces that run counter
to sufficiency. We often seek personal fulfillment
in acquisition.
We anchor our political and economic structures
in
greed and unequal distribution of goods and
services. Predictably, many are left without
resources for
a decent and dignified
life.
We pray, therefore, for the strength to change
our personal and public lives, to the end
that there may be enough.
D. Justice Through Sustainability
The sabbath
and jubilee laws of the Hebrew tradition
remind us that we may not press creation relentlessly
in an
effort to maximize
productivity (Exod 20:8-11; Lev 25). The principle of sustainability
means
providing an acceptable quality of
life
for present generations without
compromising
that of future generations.
Protection
of species
and their
habitats,
preservation
of clean
land
and water,
reduction
of wastes,
care
of the land--these
are priorities.
But production
of
basic
goods and services,
equitable
distribution,
accessible
markets,
stabilization
of population,
quality
education,
full
employment--these are priorities
as well.
We recognize
the obstacles
to sustainability.
Neither
economic
growth
that
ignores
environmental
cost
nor conservation
of nature
that
ignores
human
cost
is sustainable.
Both
will
result
in injustice
and,
eventually,
environmental
degradation.
We know
that
a healthy
economy
can exist
only
within
a healthy
environment,
but
that
it
is difficult
to promote
both
in our
decisions.
The principle
of sustainability
summons
our church,
in its
global
work
with
poor
people,
to pursue
sustainable
development
strategies.
It summons
our church
to
support
U.S.
farmers
who are
turning
to sustainable
methods,
and to
encourage
industries
to produce
sustainably.
It summons
each
of
us, in
every
aspect
of our
lives,
to behave
in ways
that
are consistent
with
the
long-term
sustainability
of our
planet.
We pray,
therefore,
for the
creativity
and dedication
to live
more
gently
with
the earth.
V. Commitments
of this
Church
We of
the Evangelical
Lutheran
Church
in America
answer
the call
to justice
and commit
ourselves
to its
principles--participation,
solidarity,
sufficiency,
and
sustainability.
In applying
the principles
to specific
situations,
we face
decisions
made
difficult
by human
limitation
and
sin.
We
act,
not because
we are
certain
of the
outcome
but because
we are
confident
of our
salvation
in Christ.
Human
behavior
may change
through
economic
incentive,
guilt
about
the past,
or fear
about
the future.
But as
people
of biblical
faith,
who live
together
in
trust
and
hope,
our primary
motivation
is the
call
to
be God's
caregivers
and to
do
justice.
We celebrate
the vision
of hope
and justice
for creation,
and dedicate
ourselves
anew.
We will
act out
of the
conviction
that,
as
the Holy
Spirit
renews
our minds
and hearts,
we also
must
reform
our habits
and social
structures.
A. As
Individual
Christians
As members
of this
church,
we commit
ourselves
to personal
life
styles
that
contribute
to the
health
of the
environment.
Many
organizations
provide
materials
to guide
us in
examining
possibilities
and making
changes
appropriate
to our
circumstances.
We challenge
ourselves, particularly
the economically secure,
to tithe environmentally.
Tithers would
reduce their
burden on the
earth's bounty
by producing ten percent
less in waste,
consuming ten percent
less in
non-renewable resources,
and contributing the savings
to earthcare efforts.
Environmental tithing
also entails
giving time
to learn about
environmental problems
and to work
with others
toward solutions.
B. As
a Worshipping
and Learning
Community
1. The
Congregation
as a
Creation
Awareness
Center
Each
congregation should
see itself as a
center for exploring
scriptural and theological
foundations for caring
for creation.
Awareness
can be furthered
by many already
in our midst,
for example: Native
people,
who often have
a special understanding
of human
intimacy with
the earth;
scientists, engineers,
and technicians,
who help us to
live by the
wisdom of God
in creation; experts
in conservation
and protection of
the
environment; and
those who
tend the land
and sea.
We also will
learn from
people suffering
the severe impact
of environmental degradation.
2.
Creation Emphases
in the Church
Year
Congregations
have
various opportunities
during
the year to focus
on creation. Among
these
are Thanksgiving,
harvest
festivals, and blessings
of fields,
waters, and plants
and animals.
Many congregations
observe
Earth Day or
Soil and
Water Stewardship
Week. As a
church body,
we designate
the Second Sunday
after Pentecost
as Stewardship of Creation
Sunday, with
appropriate readings
(as a
development of the
traditional
Rogationtide).
3. Education
and Communication
This
church will
encourage those
who develop liturgical,
preaching, and educational
materials that
celebrate God's
creation. Expanded
curricula, for use
in the many
contexts of Christian
education, will
draw upon
existing materials.
We will promote
reporting on the
environment by church
publications, and encourage
coverage of this
church's environmental
concerns in public
media.
4. Programs
Throughout
this
Church
This
church commends
the environmental education
taking place
through synodical
and regional
efforts; camps
and outdoor ministries;
colleges, seminaries,
and continuing education
events; and the
churchwide Hunger
Program. We especially
commend this
church's Department
for Environmental Stewardship
in the Division
for Church in Society,
for its network
of caregivers, its advice
to church members
and institutions on innovative
caregiving, and its
materials for use
in environmental auditing.
C. As
a Committed
Community
As congregations
and other
expressions
of this
church,
we will
seek
to incorporate
the principles
of sufficiency
and
sustainability
in our
life.
We
will
advocate
the enviromental
tithe,
and we
will
take
other
measures
that
work
to limit
consumption
and reduce
wastes.
We will,
in our
budgeting
and investment
of church
funds,
demonstrate
our care
for creation.
We will
undertake
environmental
audits
and follow
through
with
checkups
to ensure
our continued
commitment.
D. As
a Community
of Moral
Deliberation
As congregations
and other
expressions
of this
church,
we will
model
the principle
of participation.
We will
welcome
the interaction
of differing
views
and
experiences
in our
discussion
of environmental
issues
such
as:
• nuclear and toxic waste dumps;
• logging in ancient growth forests;
• personal habits in food consumption;
• farming practices;
• treatment of animals in livestock production, laboratory research, and
hunting;
• land-use planning; and
• global food, development, and population questions.
We will examine how environmental damage is influenced by racism, sexism, and
classism,
and how the environmental crisis in turn exacerbates racial, gender, and
class discrimination. We will include
in our
deliberation
people who feel
and suffer
with issues, whose economic security is at stake, or who have expertise in
the natural and social sciences.
We will play a role in bringing together
parties in conflict, not only members
of this church but also
members of society at large. This
church's widespread presence and credibility
provide us a unique
opportunity to mediate, to resolve
conflict, and to move toward consensus.
E. As an Advocate
The principles of participation,
solidarity, sufficiency,
and sustainability will
shape our advocacy--in
neighborhoods
and regions, nationally
and internationally. Our advocacy
will continue in partnership,
ecumenically
and
with
others
who share our concern for
the environment.
Advocacy on behalf of creation
is most compelling when
done by informed individuals
or
local
groups.
We will encourage their
communication with governments
and
private
entities, attendance at
public hearings, selective
buying
and investing, and voting.
We will
support
those
designated by this
church
to advocate
at state,
national,
and international
levels.
We will
stand
with
those among us
whose
personal struggles
for justice
put them
in lonely
and vulnerable
positions.
1. Private
Sector
This
church will
engage in dialogue
with corporations
on how to promote
justice for creation.
We will converse
with business
leadership regarding
the health of workers,
consumers, and the
environment. We will
invite the insights
and concerns of business
leadership regarding
responsible environmental
actions. We will
urge businesses
to implement comprehensive
environmental principles.
Government
can use
both
regulations
and market
incentives
to seek
sustainability.
We will
foster
genuine
cooperation
between
the private
and public
sector
in developing
them.
2. Public
Sector
This
church will
favor proposals
and actions that
address environmental
issues in a
manner consistent
with the principles
of participation, solidarity,
sufficiency, and sustainability.
These
proposals
and
actions
will
address:
excessive
consumption
and
human
population
pressures;
international
development,
trade,
and
debt;
ozone
depletion;
and
climate
change.
They
will
seek:
to
protect
species
and
their
habitats;
to
protect
and
assure
proper
use
of
marine
species;
and
to
protect
portions
of
the
planet
that
are
held
in
common,
including
the
oceans
and
the
atmosphere.
This
church
will
support
proposals
and actions
to protect
and restore,
in the
United
States
and Caribbean,
the quality
of:
• natural and human habitats, including seas, wetlands, forests, wilderness,
and urban
areas;
• air, with special concern for inhabitants of urban areas;
• water, especially drinking water, groundwater, polluted runoff, and industrial
and municipal waste; and
• soil, with special attention to land use, toxic waste disposal, wind
and water erosion,
and preservation of farmland amid urban development.
This church will seek public policies that allow people to
participate
fully in decisions affecting their own health and livelihood. We will be
in solidarity
with
people who directly face environmental hazards from toxic materials, whether
in industry,
agriculture, or the
home.
We will insist on an equitable sharing of the costs of maintaining a healthy
environment.
This church
will advance international
acceptance of the
principles of participation,
solidarity, sufficiency,
and sustainability, and encourage
the United Nations
in its caregiving
role. We will collaborate
with partners
in the global
church community,
and learn from
them in our
commitment to care
for God's creation
Claiming
the Promise
Given
the
power
of sin
and evil
in this
world,
as
well
as
the complexity
of environmental
problems,
we
know
we
can
find
no "quick fix"--whether
technological,
economic,
or
spiritual.
A
sustainable
environment
requires
a sustained
effort
from
everyone.
The prospect of doing
too little too late leads many
people to despair. But as people
of faith, captives
of hope, and vehicles of God's promise, we
face the
crisis.
We
claim
the
promise
of "a new heaven and a new earth" (Rev 21:1),
and join in the offertory prayer (Lutheran
Book
of
Worship, page 109):
"Blessed
are
you,
O
Lord
our
God,
maker
of
all
things.
Through
your
goodness
you
have
blessed
us with
these
gifts.
With
them
we
offer
ourselves
to
your
service
and
dedicate
our
lives
to the
care
and
redemption
of
all
that
you
have
made,
for
the
sake
of
him
who
gave
himself
for
us,
Jesus
Christ
our
Lord.
Amen."
________________________________________________________________
Copyright © September 1993 Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America. Produced by the Department for Studies, Division
for Church in Society.
Permission is granted to reproduce this document as needed, providing
each copy displays the copyright as printed above.
Lutheran Church