Green Like God

 By Jonathan Merritt -

Green Like God confronts difficult questions dividing America and the Christian community, while exploring God's plan for restoration. Merritt shares his journey and insights with readers, hoping that they too will connect with the Creator's heart for His creation, as part of a worshipful and obedient response to follow God.

Strengths

Priority. Green Like God bases its case for the priority of creation care in Scripture, citing "the charge for Adam to care for the world is really a charge to us all.  Nowhere in Scripture is it ever revoked." Merritt observes, "Most Americans don't hate the environment - they just think they have more important things to do." Merritt's approach is not to convince people to be good stewards of the earth's resources because of statistics, but because of the commands and concerns of God about His creation. An editorial in Christianity Today adds, "The Bible is not the enemy of the environmental cause, but its greatest asset."

Not Political. While "environmental" concerns are often seen as a political hot potato, Merritt has blown away "right vs. left" political camps with good theology, quoting noted conservative and liberal Christian voices. As author Shane Claiborne notes, Green Like God gives "clear biblical evidence of a God who has a green thumb, a Creator who begins the human story by breathing life into dirt and ends the story with the restoration of all Creation as the New Jerusalem comes on earth."

Perspective. Merritt offers fresh perspective, even going so far as to use Bible passages that some Christian anti-environmentalists cite. For example, the King James Version translates Genesis 1:28 as "have dominion over the earth." But Merritt argues that it should be translated as "rule over the earth". The difference is subtle, but important. The Hebrew concept of "rule" was that Hebrew kings were given  limited authority by God, an authority based on stewardship, not dominion. This perspective, Merritt argues, gives us a better understanding of the type of rule that humans should have.

Readable. Green Like God is written in a conversational tone. Merritt weaves together thought-provoking truths with the story of his own journey from ambivalence about the environment, to the founder of a national coalition of Christian leaders who care about creation.

Smart. Merritt anticipates objections from Christians, and acknowledges that "like most trends, going green has become a source of pride...the message reverberating through culture beckons us to ‘go green' because we will look better and feel better and fit in." He concludes that believers "have deeper reasons to go green: we serve the Creator of the planet that green living preserves."

Gospel Connection. Merritt dismantles the argument that concern for the environment "distracts us from more important tasks" such as spreading the gospel. Instead, Green Like God contends that "Creation care is a gospel issue" because for the people of the world who know little or nothing about Jesus Christ, the creation is their starting point. The way the rest of the world sees God's people treating the creation says something of their view of the Creator, which can ultimately strengthen (or damage) the gospel.

Things to Be Aware Of

Merritt is passionate about his subject. But in a few instances it seems his word choices could distract - and even turn off - the very people he aims to convince. For example, Merritt says, "the Bible doesn't teach the sanctity of human life, but the sanctity of all life." True. But taking a phrase so strongly associated with the pro-life cause, and broadening it in this way may cause some to wonder if he is blurring the lines between the value of people and animals.

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