(a paper I wrote for a college class)

{the following is a book report I wrote for a class in college called "Conservation"}


Book Report

Most Christians don’t feel that protecting the environment is their responsibility or might even think that the problems we see today are not their fault. For the record, I once was one of them. We as Christians believe that God created us as His masterpiece, His companions for eternity, but somewhere along the line we became too prideful of that fact and disregarded the rest of God’s big picture. John 3:16, the most quoted scripture, states that “God so loved the WORLD.” The word world here means cosmos in the original Greek which “refers to anything and everything that is in the universe, including the animals, flowers, insects, and fish (p. 13).” In his book, Tony Campolo shows us that all of creation is meant to proclaim God’s glory, and we are to help nature in that effort; it is our responsibility.

First we shall look at the treatment of the animals in God’s kingdom. The exploitation of the world’s tropical rain forests is mirrored in the food industry. Our insatiable need for every fast and cheap has led to an unappetizing consequence to the animals we consume. Chickens are pumped with steroids to the point their legs break under their own weight. They never even see the light of day. Cows are bred like a crop and harvested the same way. I’m not a vegan, but I don’t think our senseless perversion of the food chain is what God planned for the creation He “saw as good (Genesis 1).” We as the human race have come a long way from being simply stewards of this planet.

Our selfish actions have also caused much needless torture to animal in the pursuit of a higher standard of living. Oil spills, both old and new, obliterate the ocean life from sea birds to seaweed. Maybe if we curbed our thirst for black gold we could cease risking our planet’s delicate water systems and the balanced lives that dwell in them. Animal testing has tapered somewhat in the past few years, but there are still too many animals enduring wrenching pain just for our frivolous wants, such as make-up and hair products. I believe, as well as Mr. Campolo, that some medical studies should continue using animals for their research, but “every effort should be made to minimize the pain the animals endure (p. 73).” The word responsibility always surfaces in every aspect of conservation. That doesn’t exclude animals.

Another topic brought to light in this book is that of merging missionary work with environmental aid to developing countries. The first thought that comes to my mind is not just feeding a village for a day but to teach them to fish and to teach them to be “fishers of men” too. There are many organizations that travel across the globe to feed the hungry and heal the sick, which is extremely great, but more Christians should do the same. Jesus said, “what ever you do to the least of these you have done unto Me (Matthew 25),” but most churches are only willing to send a few quarters in the tithe plate. Christians should be at the front of the line when it comes to helping our neighbors, whether in the soup kitchen down the street or a country across an ocean. Over the past few years there has been a growth in Christian programs and organizations that aid developing countries, but it still seems to be a revolutionary concept. This movement is well over due.

The author of this book, Tony Campolo, gives some helpful suggestions for what he calls “the greening of the church (ch.11).” The first on his list is to support ministries that give aid to developing countries, like previously mentioned, whether it is financially or by giving needed supplies such as shoes for a village in need. Other suggestions are more local, such as starting a “ReLeaf (p. 138)” which would organized tree planting for the city. Many churches across America have become so large that they seem more like a company than a house of worship. These churches, as well as all the others, should consider an “environmental audit (p. 141)” which includes the amount of paper used for bulletins and all the disposable cups used for communion which could be recycled diligently. Small changes such as changing the name of the church garage sale to a “recycle sale (p. 142)” would help the community see that the church is attempting to be environmentally conscience which in turn might help take of some the stigma off of going green. Most communities have had to make cutbacks and trashed their recycling programs. The churches should pick up where the city left off and offer its building as a simple recycling center. The easiest and probably most productive environmental outreach would be to simply to “make creation-care part of discipling (p. 150).” The church’s biggest asset is teaching by example. This should never be forgotten.

Another way a Christian should approach conservation is by individual tasks. Environmental awareness is greatly accomplished by groups, but never underestimate the power of a single voice or action. Small lifestyle changes such as using less harmful and toxic pest and weed killers on your lawn would cut back on the amount of chemicals that could harm our pets and children. These chemicals could also enter our water system, silently reeking havoc. Water conservation is at the top of the list of outlets to consider. There are several ways to curb our wasteful water habits. Some mentioned in this book are taking shorter showers, installing a low-flow showerhead, and placing a rock in your toilet’s water tank. Other suggestions include not running your dishwasher or washing machine until you have a full load, checking all your faucets for leaks, and washing your car less, the author’s personal favorite (p.165). Short steps can lead to a longer stride.

This book is meant for wider audiences than just Christians. The author did not imply that conservation is only for Christians. He simply tried to shows evangelical Christians, who happen to have a bad track record when it comes to environmentalism, that creation was meant for more. Not just some parts of it such as cute puppies and kittens, but the environment, plant life, and all creatures. We Christians have always feared zealots, and tree huggers seem to make us uncomfortable. We need not forget that Christians were the original zealots. This book shows us that “most good movements, even the church, attract their share of crazies (p. 71).” The weight of the matter lies in the fact that we should become knowledgeable as to why they act the way they do and should we need to join them. Christians innately are environmentalists, but somewhere along the line the church became more like a company, and just like any company, all of us CEO’s cringed at the thought of changing our way of life and “go green.”

At first I hesitated at the thought of reviewing this book, but I learned quite a bit from it. The author wrote it so that it’s easy to grasp the concept he is trying to convey. He included philosophies and thoughts from other thinkers, ancient and modern. There were plenty of examples as to what we can do, as mankind and as Christians, for conservation and why we should do it. As a Christian, I enjoyed the scripture references that further explained the author’s viewpoint. There were many topics I had not considered and duties I had been neglecting. Like I previously stated, this book is not just for Christians. It is for anyone who is finding it hard to bypass the stigma that shrouds environmentalism. This book is for anyone who wants the motivation to stand up and be counted with the crazies.

Work Cited :
Campolo, Tony. How To Rescue the Earth Without Worshipping Nature: A Christians Call To Save Creation. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1992.