God's Big Blue Marble

I agree the with Earth Day proponents: the earth does look like a big blue marble in space!

Earth Day celebrated by more than a half a billion people every year in over 175 countries is the largest secular holiday in the world. There are two actual earth days; April 22nd and the vernal Equinox. The U.N. established the vernal Equinox, as Earth Day because it is the moment that day and night is the same length everywhere on earth. Gaylord Nelson, a former U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, founded Earth Day and set April 22nd as the date "to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda.” These days slid into a week, snowballed into a month and continue to gain momentum.

Environmentalists, I have learned are religious folk and have denominations. Their labels are Dark, Light and Bright—green that is.


Environmentalism for “Light greens” is a lifestyle not a political agenda. “Light” greens sit on the end of the activist scale. “Dark greens” on the other hand believe that environmental problems go hand-in-hand with industrialized capitalism. Problems of industrialized capitalism facing environmentalists include consumerism, separation from nature and the exhaustion of natural resources. “Dark greens” seek radical political change. “Bright greens” agree that radical political change is necessary but can be accomplished sans gloom and doom with modern ideas, paraphernalia and technology.

Hey, I turn off the light when I leave a room, worms eat my garbage and I am a member in good standing of a shared agriculture program but these environmentalist labels don’t work for me.

I believe the “Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden as its gardener, to tend and care for it.” (Gen. 2:15—The Living Bible) The more I respect or to, use a Biblical term-fear God and appreciate His creation the better park ranger I am. This is what He has called me to be, His steward. ‘Steward’ an old-fashioned word that means a person in charge of another’s property, finances or other affairs.

Color me-----“olive green”. Figuratively speaking I was a wild olive shoot grafted in a holy, God-planted God tended tree—the body of Christ. The grafting took because I believed I was connected to that belief-nurturing root. Being humble and mindful keeps me lithe and green. (Loose paraphrase of Romans 11:11-23—The Message)

Dear God,

Let Your nature be the guide I manage myself by in your garden. Let me remember that gentle kindness and ruthless severity exist side by side.--Amen


I am His child. Earth is not my mother.