Dominion?

Tidying up after some guests had departed from a holiday resort, the proprietors were heard to mutter to one other, “Some come for recreation. Others come to wreck creation.”

I think if God could be heard to mutter, he would surely lament over what those whom were said to be “made in his image” never cease to want to destroy what was created.

Now I’ve heard many arguments regarding the so-called Creation versus Evolution debates as if they were mutually exclusive. However, the “wow” factor emerges whether one reads the two stories from Genesis recently studied or from the magnificent documentaries one views on TV. God has been at work even as we wonder at the remarkable detail and process by which creatures have evolved over millennia right from the Big Bang.

The real debate is not so much over how the universe was made but what we do with it. Too often the instruction in Gen. 1:26 to “have dominion” over other creatures has been taken as an excuse to exploit all nature for what it is worth. Despite using possible oral traditions dating well back into Babylonian pre-history which, at least, shows the wisdom of describing creation in order, the Jewish priests, writing about 597BC, added some all-too-human arrogance.

There is more of a sense of stewardship in the second Genesis story where God takes the man and puts him in the Garden of Eden “to till it and keep it” (Gen 2:15). This story, based again on ancient folklore this time around the southern regions between Egypt and Arabia, began to be written down in the kingdom of Judah c900BC. We are given limits and we know what happens when the envelope is pushed too far.

By stressing the dominion rather than the stewardship, we human beings have irresponsibly brought our planet too far to the point of no return. Already there is doubt whether the new baby prince George will have any kingdom left to reign over.

           

            The more we study how our universe, including our planet, was made, the more fragile we see it to be when we keep on pushing that envelope. Every attempt to blow the whistle to stop and think what over-development does is met by scorn as if any use of the brake will take away people’s jobs. As if our destiny is to make our money out of cutting down and digging up the homes of fellow creatures.

            We keep thinking that employment is based on making money at the expense of man and nature rather than caring for humanity and creation. Have we lost the sense of vocation where we are called to be stewards of time, talent and treasure? We need no one to re-build the Titanic for we are fast working to pull the plug out of its bottom.

            Here in Australia, we are fast forgetting to care for those who seek refuge with us. We adulate the birth of a prince overseas who may have little impact on the way we live but treat as disposal human trash those who now dare to risk their lives to come here by boat. How can we be entrusted with nature when future citizens who can help rebuild our nation are denied what we take for granted?

            Where do we stop with this idea of “dominion” at the expense of the original “tilling and keeping”? Have another look at our creation stories and keep viewing those documentaries. It’s not what we believe about creation that we shall be held accountable but how we treat it that matters.