I was raised to love nature. My mother was always gardening and foraging. My father was always taking us hiking and teaching us about wildlife and the outdoors. My mother is now a certified herbalist. One of my brothers is a horticulturist at a renowned botanical garden in the southeast. My sister volunteers with animal rescues. And my husband and I have a little homestead of our own. Creation Care is deeply embedded in my family and our values.

For me, though, the passion I have for caring for nature and the creation around me goes beyond just having an appreciation for the beauty it holds. My passion comes from how fully and wonderfully creation declares the glory of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. How the vastness of creation is too much for our mortal minds to fully comprehend, and then to know that God is infinitely more vast than even that. To see the astonishing beauty around me and know that my Father did that is indescribable.

I have three children. I love providing for them and seeing their fulfillment. I do NOT love when they become entitled and greedy. I do NOT love when they destroy our home or leave messes everywhere without even a thought about how it affects others in the home, or how disrespected it makes me feel. I take great pride in and great care to provide my children with nice things and a home where they feel loved and cared for and safe. And to involve them in taking pride in their home, I involve them in caring for their home.

They have chores around the house like many children do, and that probably sounds familiar to many people reading this article. And if we have standards that we follow in the care of our homes, why would we not have standards that we follow in the care of our planet?

Caring for creation involves so many concepts with which Christian communities are very familiar. We talk about being good stewards. We relate the term “being a good steward” to how we develop our talents and character, or how we handle our finances. But it should also fiercely apply to taking care of creation. We talk about not being gluttonous or excessive. This should also apply to how we use creation.

Like many things in the world today, people have turned the idea of Creation Care into a political ideal or topic. For my family, this is not about a political agenda. This is about honoring our Creator and the home He created for us. This is about being responsible with what He has given us. This is a stunningly beautiful world and we have only begun to scratch the surface of how intricate and limitless that beauty is, and I am dedicated to caring for it in the best ways possible. I hope you will join me!

Amy Lindsay is a contributor to PCPJ.

Pentecostals & Charismatics for Peace & Justice is a multicultural, gender inclusive, and ecumenical organization that promotes peace, justice, and reconciliation work among Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians around the world. If you like what we do, please join our Facebook forum, and sign up for our newsletter!