What can Christian faith add to the debate about science and ecology? As it turns out, plenty! For far too long, faith and science have been hesitant to engage in sincere dialogue. Scientists and sermon-writers may use the same vocabulary words, but a discomfort seems to arise when one side appears to be overly reliant on the ideas associated with the other side. The usual preference is for “creation” to be divided into camps associated with Genesis or with the Big Bang. “Change” and “adaptation” is split between language of evolution or language of repentance and renewal.
It is time to bridge these divides and seek a mutually-enriching, shared voice so that science and faith can address the present ecological crisis confronting our planet. In particular, the language of hope and grace that is at the heart of the Christian message is precisely the vocabulary a wounded, troubled biosphere (including each of us!) needs to hear.
As a way to explore this dual perspective, let’s begin with the poetry of Psalm 104. It is a long hymn extolling God as Creator and Provider. It’s language tells about the heavens are stretched out like a tent (vs. 2) and the clouds serve as God’s chariot (vs. 3). It then goes on to say this: You set the earth on its foundations, so that it shall never be shaken. You cover it with the deep as with a garment (vs. 5-6). At first glance, this language may not resonate with scientific descriptions of the earth; but that does the biblical writers a disservice.
The Psalmist spoke about the waters of the deep as a garment placed over the face of the earth. That is a wonderfully evocative image and more accurate than we might immediately assume. Scientists have long talked about three “garments” that sustain life on earth – the layers of water that sustain aquatic life; the layers of soil that allow for plant life; and the layers of ozone that enfold and protect the earth’s atmosphere. Each of these garments are vibrant and yielding of a wide range of life-forms (flora, fauna, birds, beasts). Yet each “garment” is fragile and susceptible to damage through human misuse and pollution. Think of overfishing and dangerous run-off into fresh water sources. Think of poor crop rotation and dust bowl conditions due to depleted top soil. Think of holes in the ozone layer and smog conditions stretching far beyond any one nation’s borders.
The idea of God entrusting us with the care of the fragile, beautiful garments God has draped over the earth is, to me, a fresh way to link the wisdom of faith and science. Science assures us that the garments can sustain life abundantly, if we wisely use and protect these resources and generously share the produce of the land, water and air with one another. And faith challenges us to mend and honor the Lord’s garments, because to do so is to live into our calling as stewards of creation.
The thin layers of life-sustaining water, plant-nurturing top soil, and lung-filling oxygen are God-given gifts. May the Psalmist’s song become a shared melody, as people of faith and science work together for the good of all creation.