Question from a reader:
I saw this comment from a reader of your book: “When I read Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven, I learned how important it is to treasure this earth, because Heaven where Jesus is now will only be our temporary home before we return to Earth with Him.”
I see Scripturally that stewardship of the earth is important as it’s what we were originally tasked with at creation, and we should also do so as a way to love our neighbors. But it seems like the coming New Earth is an odd argument for this since we know this present earth will be destroyed by fire one day (2 Peter 3:12). That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take care of it now—we should—but Scripture makes it clear there is a coming destruction before the resurrection. What are your thoughts?
Answer from Randy Alcorn:
Yes, I think Genesis 1-2 is the best argument for caring for the earth since Adam and Eve were given responsibility for the garden and the animals. After the Curse falls, there are two extremes: 1) failing to care for the earth and animals since the whole creation has been messed up and will be destroyed (prior to resurrection); and 2) caring for the earth and animals at the expense of people as if they aren’t God’s most important creation. I think it’s like the extremes in taking care of our bodies: 1) don’t bother with exercising and eating right since our bodies will die and rot anyway; 2) make exercise and eating right an obsession in an attempt to squeeze more years out of our bodies.
We can easily think of our bodies as more than they are (i.e., body worship) or less than they are (i.e., “meat sacks,” as I’ve heard some people refer to them as). But we don’t have to choose between making them idols and seeing them as dispensable. We should care for the earth because God made it and values it despite the harm that’s been done to it, and because the earth is our home for now and we should want our children and grandchildren to respect and enjoy it. But also, we care for it to practice our permanent calling to steward and cultivate and enjoy the wonders of the New Earth and our new bodies and minds, which I think will bring us profound Christ-centered joy.
