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Rage Against the Machine:
Christians Called To Act For Creation
By the end of the 2004 calendar year, the EPA must establish
rules to reduce the levels of mercury emitted by U.S. power
plants. Some environmentalists fear those rules will be
weaker than the Clean Air Act currently on the books. A plan
devised by the current presidential administration called
“Clear Skies” is not nearly as stringent as the
1990 Clean Air Act.
 Christians are called to raise their voices together to
challenge those who would put the interests of big business
before the welfare of human beings. Through our community of
faith, we must work to protect God’s creation. As people of
God, we must be vigilant, yet humble, in our pursuit of a
world that preserves and protects life. The quote (below) is
from the
ELCA’s social statement Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope
and Justice, adopted in 1993. It spells out the powerful
notion that all living creatures are to be considered in
decision making; it is a principle of our Christian
stewardship. The document states:
We live within
the covenant God makes with all living things, and are in
relationship with them. . . [All things] are entitled to be
heard and to have their interests considered when decisions
are made.
The goods news is here for
us. We have been redeemed through God’s grace, and we are
free to share God’s love with all of creation. Caring for
Creation reminds us that, “By the cross and resurrection of
Jesus Christ, God frees us from our sin and captivity and
empowers us to be loving servants to creation.”
Signs exist that faithful
stewardship of creation is rewarded.
Researchers conducting a 10-year study in the Everglades
found that reducing mercury pollutants resulted in a 60
percent decline in mercury in fish and other wildlife.
Additionally,
Jane Hightower, a doctor of internal medicine at the
California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, found during a study of patients with high mercury levels
that—although it might take six months or more—cutting
consumption of contaminated fish could lead to a drop in
mercury-related symptoms like hair loss, fainting spells,
and upset stomachs.
This research offers hope. What a great day it will be when
our faithful stewardship leads to clear, pure water, and a
future where no babies will be born with mercury-related
disabilities.
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