Sustainability Corner 11/5

Dominion. Anyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ as well as an environmentalist knows that this term in many ways has been severely misinterpreted in modern Christian circles. Today, many Christians use it as a convenient excuse for over-consumption and apathy to our natural environment, but it’s clear that a deeper understanding of the word, its context, and its ultimate meaning is needed.

The primary mention of this word is found in Genesis 1:26-28, where G-d is discussing the newly created humankind and instructing them on how they will inhabit the earth. They are told to “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

However, this is just the King James Version’s translation of the text; other versions of the Bible use similar phrases for dominion like “rule,” “reign” and “be responsible.”

It’s not just Genesis that mentions humankind’s responsibilities towards His creation. In fact, the entirety of the Bible is full of passages that undeniably point to our obligations of “ruling” this magnificent gift. So why is it that we have this modern “Christian” understanding of “rule,” “dominion” and “responsibility” as something implicitly irresponsible, apathetic and abusive?

Have we really removed ourselves so far from these Scriptures that we try to justify cultural and political norms that are so blatantly destructive to one of G-d’s greatest gifts to us?

In short, the Bible tells us that the earth was given to humankind as a gift for us to govern, which in essence makes each and everyone of us leaders. As leaders, we must wonder if our actions are instances of neglectful and abusive rule, or expressions of gratitude and care for the fragility of G-d’s gifts in the natural world.

Will convenience be the only context in which Christians view our use of the Earth’s resources, or are we called to a higher set of moral standards in which we put our own interests aside to do what is right? I think it’s time for Christians from all walks of life to take a stand to protect the precious kingdom that G-d entrusted in our hands.