Some of these examples are extreme, I’ll admit. However, it seems that many jump to these severe stereotypes in their conversations about the environment. Is stewardship more than a movement for environmental fanatics? Is it more than a popular trend and consumerist marketing scheme?

      For Christians, the answer is a resounding YES! We are called by our Creator to be stewards of his creation (Genesis 2:15).

      You might be thinking: “But, what on earth is a steward?” The dictionary defines a steward as a person who manages another's property or financial affairs or one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.

     J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings gives further explanation to the idea of stewardship. In the absence of a king from the noble bloodline of Gondor in Middle Earth, Lord Denethor becomes the steward of the kingdom. He sits in the seat of royalty and assumes all kingly duties. His position is temporary, only until a real king returns, but to Denethor such a return seems uncertain and unpredictable.  Refusing to acknowledge the possibility of this return, he lives only with the present in mind, serving his own selfish pleasure and pride instead of the needs of the people. In the end, Gondor comes close to ruin and Denethor perishes in a funeral pyre of his own making. 

     Whether Tolkien intended it or not, Denethor’s role as steward closely parallels our call as Christians to be stewards of the earth, though hopefully we will not succumb to a similar demise! Until the return of the king, Denethor was entrusted with the throne and called to care for his people.  Until the return of Christ, we are called to serve and preserve creation. 

     We don’t literally walk around wearing crowns and ruling kingdoms, so what does our stewardship involve? We often have the misconception that caring about creation simply means using our resources wisely (i.e. reduce, reuse, recycle!), protecting animal rights, and preserving natural areas. But, along with the natural world that surrounds us, we humans are also a part of creation! Countless environmental issues are intricately connected to issues of poverty and injustice. For example, farmers in countries like Haiti often cut down forest trees to sell as firewood when their farming practices fails. In their desperation, they cut down faster than the trees can regrow, and this deforestation leads to increased erosion and loss of topsoil. This loss affects their farmland, leading to a further decrease in their productivity in following years. So, what do the farmers do? They are forced to cut down more trees in order to provide for their families. The cycle continues like a snowball, accumulating greater loss and risk with each revolution.