TIKUN OLAM
The Jewish term tikun olam means "healing the world". While there is more than one interpretation of this teaching, the one that stands out to us is environmental mindedness. It is a practice that began in the garden of Eden, in fact. Genesis 2:15 says, "Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it." When we were in Israel inspecting the olive groves from which we get our oil, it became tangibly clear that we--Rodger and Greer as well as "we" Christians--need to become more active about this. Tending an olive grove takes committed work and genuine care!
It is our duty, and our privilege, to take care of this earth. To till and to tend. The current trend in our country is to "go green", which means to be environmentally minded in all that we do. Renew, reuse, recycle. Even people who don't believe in God or "a god" are active in taking care of the earth---more so than most Christians. It is unfortunate that this global awakening and progress came from the hearts of non-believers, as the earth is clearly a gift from our Creator. Instead of contributing to the destruction of our waters and land we need to use the wisdom and resources God gave us to preserve the earth.
We all need to join in and fulfill our primary purpose!
We all need to be good stewards of our land!
Many, many opportunities exist to till and to tend. Till by gardening, composting, and planting trees. Tend with solar panels, biodegradables, and cloth bags. There are countless websites and organizations dedicated to this very purpose. Once you practice tikun olam you will experience the joy that God gives when taking care of His beautiful creation. Pray and be active in your pursuit of healing the world---in your country and in Israel. When you do, you will be blessing and giving glory to Him.
How will YOU act upon Genesis 2:15?
Some sites to consider:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment