Ecology of the Soul

Psalm 1:3

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

...............

Ecology is not the end of the world. Oh well, in a sense it is, but what I mean is that it is not everything. In fact, the Bible puts ecology in its right place in the grand drama of human history. Genesis 1 and 2 show us that the creation was originally good in every way. Adam and Eve were created on the sixth day as sort of a culmination of this "very good" creation. Why did they get top billing over the rest of the earth? Because they were made in the very image of God, a unique description that sets them apart from the created order and begs the question, "what is the image of God?" More on that another time.

The point is that God is more concerned with human souls than he is with planting trees. It is very important that we did not arrive at this conclusion by means of some gnostic anti-materialistic bent. Rather, we are seeking use the priorities that God uses in his Word. The created world reflects the glory of God in a most agreeable and profound way, see Psalm 19:1-6, but the Bible declares that God's glory is even more evident in his Word, see Psalm 19:7-11. Today's verse puts this clearly and throws the whole issue into focus. God is looking for men and women to reflect his glory by planting themselves in the nourishing streams of his Word. By all means, plant a tree and save the earth; this pleases God and is clearly underappreciated by evangelicals. But please, do not neglect the nourishment of your soul for sake of the planet. Not that these two activities are diametrically opposed, but in our culture we are forgetting the ecology of the soul and soon we will wither. As Schaeffer and others have pointed out, ours is a "cut-flower" culture: the beautiful blossom of Western Civilization has been severred from its biblical roots and it is only a matter of time before it withers away.

All this points to a conclusion that I must mention: ours is a personal universe. Beware that your fixation on saving the planet does not overshadow your interest in persons. I know most environmentalists are also human rights advocates as well, but be careful here. Believers must distinguish themselves by their passionate love for persons, God first and also our neighbor likewise. Let us not display an impersonal worldview by getting caught up in ecology to the neglect of our neighbor next door and our families as well. When we do ecology, let's put it in the framework of a personal universe, ruled by a personal God, to whom all persons will one day give account for what they have done. Gladly, the Lord is concerned with the earth. He grieves over the curse of sin which has broken the ground (Gen. 3) and caused all creation to groan (Rom. 8), but he is altogether more concerned that His children find new life in the streams of water that flow from His own personal thoughts - the Word of God.