Climate change and Christ

By him all things were created…and in him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16-17).

I’m not worried about climate change.

Of course, I don’t like pollution and waste. I like to breathe clean air. I don’t like seeing trash blowing down the road. I think that water should be used wisely, not wasted.

I don’t think that any species should be hunted to extinction. I support making our cars and trucks more fuel-efficient.

But I’m not worried about climate change. I’m not losing sleep over melting glaciers or shifting weather patterns. It’s happened all before. Average temperatures rise and fall over the course of centuries. Rivers change where they flow. Lakes dry up and low lands flood. Some species adjust; others don’t and become extinct. It’s been this way since man started recording history.

Back in the 1960s, I used to worry about nuclear war devastating the planet. Eventually, I realized that such worry was pointless—there’s nothing I can do about nuclear weapons being deployed, except pray to God for peace and vote for politicians who I hope are too wise to push that button.

I don’t worry about mankind poisoning the earth with radiation, filling the air with CO2 emissions or polluting the water with heavy metals. These are bad things that are harmful to good health and should be avoided, to be sure. But I don’t worry that we can or will destroy the earth.

Why don’t I worry? Because I believe what God says in the Bible. And the Bible is clear—when Jesus returns to judge mankind, there will be people going about their lives. Most will be surprised at His coming; only a few will be overjoyed at His return. But the world will still be supporting life on that final day—no matter how bad things get, God won’t let us destroy His wonderful creation.

Go ahead and install solar panels. Go ahead and invest in wind energy. Go ahead and drive a hybrid. But don’t brag that you’re saving the world—that job belongs to Christ.