Earth Day

Earth Day and the Gift of Stewardship

Happy Earth Day Twig!

Psalm 24 begins with these words:

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.”

It’s a beautiful reminder that the earth is not just scenery in the background of our lives. It is the place where our stories unfold.

For most of us, our days are lived entirely here—among weather patterns, changing seasons, lakes and rivers, grass and trees, concrete roads and open skies. The earth is where we wake, work, rest, grow, and gather.

And Scripture reminds us that this world ultimately belongs to God.

Looking Back at Earth Day

More than fifty years ago, the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970. It began as an awareness movement in response to the unintended consequences of rapid industrial growth.

There had been many benefits to progress and development, but there were also growing problems: polluted rivers, contaminated air, overflowing landfills, and damage that could no longer be ignored.

Earth Day became a moment to pause and ask an important question:

How do we care well for the world we’ve been given?

That question still matters today.

Signs of Renewal

Sometimes change can feel slow, but over time, meaningful restoration is possible.

I remember hearing my grandparents talk about seeing a wild turkey at their bird feeder. At the time, it was something rare and remarkable.

Later, I saw one for myself—a large tom turkey puffed up in the yard. It felt special.

Now, seeing turkeys in the fields is common.

The same could be said for eagles, sandhill cranes, loons, and other wildlife that have returned in abundance to places where they were once rarely seen.

These changes didn’t happen by accident. They came through years of intentional effort, wiser stewardship, and laws like the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act that helped restore damaged places.

Rivers once known for pollution have been cleaned. Habitats have recovered. Wildlife has flourished.

These are reminders that healing is possible.

Our Original Calling

Long before modern conversations about the environment, Scripture spoke of humanity’s relationship to creation.

In Genesis, God entrusted Adam and Eve with the care of the garden. They were called to cultivate it, keep it, and steward it well.

This was never permission to exploit creation carelessly.

It was an invitation to participate with God—to develop what is good, protect what is vulnerable, and care for what has been entrusted to us.

We were made to be caretakers.

Takers or Givers?

Many of us remember Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree—a story that gently exposes how easy it is for humans to become takers.

We take the fruit.
We take the branches.
We take the trunk.
And eventually, we sit on what remains.

But the heart of God moves in the opposite direction.

“For God so loved the world that He gave…”

God is generous. And as people made in His image, we are invited to live generously too.

That includes how we care for the earth, our communities, and the resources placed in our hands.

To tend.
To protect.
To preserve.
To give back.

Small Things Matter

Sometimes environmental challenges can feel overwhelming. The problems seem too large, too global, too complex.

But Earth Day offers a simple encouragement:

Small actions matter.

One careless act multiplied by millions creates harm.

But one wise, loving action multiplied by millions creates change.

Recycling one bottle.
Planting one tree.
Reducing waste.
Caring for a riverbank.
Choosing gratitude over excess.
Teaching children to love creation.

None of these things seem dramatic on their own.

But together, they become meaningful.

Hope in the Everyday

Each time we see an eagle overhead, turkeys in a field, or cranes crossing the sky, we’re reminded that restoration is possible.

Change can happen.
Healing can happen.
Renewal can happen.

And what you do matters.

What I do matters.

Together with God, we are stewards of this earth—our shared home for this season of life.

So on Earth Day, may we receive the world again as gift, and may we care for it with gratitude.

Happy Earth Day.