1

Stewards of Creation

By Levi C. Jones

When I turned 16, my parents purchased a truck for me to drive. It was a 1972 Chevy C-

10 fleetside pickup. I had to wash it, maintain it, and fill it with gas. The upkeep was my

responsibility because it was my vehicle. But, as much as that vehicle was mine, it did not really

belong to me. Sure, my parents had gifted the pickup to me, but it was still in their name. They

were the true owners of the vehicle. Could I do whatever I wanted with that truck? Hardly. I

had a responsibility to my parents to be a good steward of their gift. If I decided not to take

responsibility, I ultimately could lose the truck. Although it was a gift, how I treated it was a

reflection of my relationship with my parents.

Creation works in a very similar way. God created the world, along with everything in it.

He created man to till the soil, to work in the Garden, and to add value to Creation. He then set

man in the Garden to “govern” over God’s good creation. Who would be so foolish to think that

Adam and Eve were the rightful owners of paradise? No, it belonged to God. Adam and Eve

were shepherds, caretakers, stewards of a gift. They could help creation be its best by tilling the

soil and laboring in and with creation. Along with that, creation would sustain humanity from its

bounty.

Sin drastically changed the scene. Where stewardship was once the modus operandi,

now tyranny took its place. No longer was cooperation the norm of life, rather domination

seemed logical. Furthermore, perhaps, as Walter Brueggemann suggests in his article “Liturgy

of Abundance, Myth of Scarcity,” the idea of abundance was replaced by scarcity. Our markets

are built upon the ideas of supply and demand. We are told that there are a limited amount of

resources with which to sustain an unlimited amount of desire.

 Brueggemann declares that creation is more than fruitful. God has empowered the world

to produce bounty for its inhabitants. However, that abundance does not necessarily mean that

we can hoard resources. In fact, that is the very attitude that produces poverty and scarcity for

others. America is the greatest consumer society. The more resources we obtain, the more

greedy and tight-fisted we become. It is an ownership attitude… if it doesn’t belong to me, it

should. This is antithetical to the way it was set up at Creation by God. The world and

everything in it is God’s. How we treat Creation is a reflection of our relationship with our

Creator.

We do not posses creation, nor does any man. We will die and the world will be passed

on to a new generation. It would seem that we are merely temporary holders of the Creation

baton being passed down the line. If that is true, we cannot hold any claim to ownership. We

cannot treat the world with disrespect, disregard, or disdain. We cannot possibly see future

generations as negligible in importance because they will need creation to sustain them too!

I recently traveled with a missions team to the nation of Haiti located on the island of

Hispanola. The island was once known as “The Pearl of the Antilles.” From the air, the island is

beautiful. Blue ocean laps at the sandy shores as mountains shadow the plains below. Even at

ground level, there is an austere beauty. Palm trees, banana trees, and many others sway in the

gentle breeze sweeping from the ocean. However, the breeze does not waft in subtle hints of

tropical fruits and island scents. Instead, the senses are bombarded by a barrage of repugnant

images and smells.

The streets are literally lined with people, children seeking a dollar from the “blancs”

(white people), while grown men count a thick stack of cash they have collected from the

youngsters. Smoke, smog, and sewage assault the nose and sting the eyes. Rubble heaps leave a
 3

bread crumb trail along the road, appearing as if giant moles had burrowed everywhere beneath

the concrete road and sidewalks. Tent cities dot the landscape. Some houses are shattered,

literally broken in half or smashed like pancakes. It is obvious that erosion is a major problem,

leaving Haiti dusty and stripped of valuable topsoil. It is a broken country and a desperate

people.

The poverty of the country is only intensified due to the lack of natural resources in Port-

au-Prince. We passed a tent city just north of Port-au-Prince. The hills surrounding the

makeshift city were destitute. No trees could be found, save for a lone palm tree on the top of

the hill. A crater blemished the side of a hill, indicating the abuse that had happened in the

region.

The further you get away from the big city, the more vegetation and farming you see.

People work hard on the land in rice patties, banana tree farms, or bean fields. Their dependence

on the land shows in their treatment of it. Although they are very poor, many can scratch out a

living with cattle, goats, and chickens. The vast difference between the country existence to the
city life is drastic. New farming measures are being introduced, enabling greater production for

food and resources. Water wells are being drilled to provide clean water. There is a lot of work

that still needs to be accomplished.

On the last day we were in Haiti, we drove to the top of a mountain overlooking Port-au-

Prince so that we could view the city from a better vantage point. The city was gigantic. The

view was unbelievable. You could see the pollution easily despite it being one of the clearest

days that they had had in quite some time. The trip up the mountain was wonderful. The air was

crisp due to the vegetation and the mountains. It was gorgeous scenery. We rounded one corner

that looked out over several mountains. One of them had a deep, white scar that spoke of vast

mining (pictured above). It was a mark on an otherwise beautiful landscape. It only reminded

me that the mountains and its beauty would not last if people did not take care of their resources.

That view sure made me appreciate what we do have. Likewise, it makes me realize the

importance of taking care of those resources.

Haiti is definitely an area that needs help. There is little doubt that monetary resources

are needed to help them move beyond their current situation. However, money alone is not

going to solve the problem. Educating the populace about stewardship issues and farming

methods is important. Helping to re-plant and establish trees and other vegetation will not only

help provide sustenance, but will help stem erosion, dust, and smog. Those are only a few of the

benefits of restoring the island back to its natural beauty.

For our own lives, we can learn from a page in the history of Haiti. Stewardship issues of

our natural resources are very important for us to consider. How we treat the world can

dramatically affect our capability to sustain life. Not to mention, abuse of our natural resources

can mean that we lose them altogether. It is important that we begin to consider long-term
 5

consequences, rather than short-term benefits, in using the world we have been given!