A growing number of Christians are embracing the ... - Biola University

04
E D I T O R ’ S N O T E
God’s Green Earth
Jason Newell (’02)
Editor
There’s not much that qualifies in my book as “must-see TV.” But
every once in a while, something hits the small screen that I can’t
bear to pass up. Early last year, it was the Discovery Channel’s landmark
11-part miniseries, “Planet Earth.”
If you watched it, you know just what I’m talking about. If you missed it,
here’s the background: A team of film crews spent five years combing the
globe, gathering footage from every corner of our planet — seas, mountains,
plains, deserts and forests. They camped out in its remotest territories,
trailed its most elusive animals, braved its harshest climates and flew over
its vastest expanses.
And in the end, they put together an epic documentary that was both
stunningly beautiful and downright educational. (Bet you didn’t know, for
example, that the plains of Africa are home to Red-billed Quelea flocks so
populous that they can take up to five hours to fly overhead.)
I’m sure plenty of people watched and merely came away with a new -
found respect for nature. Me? I was filled with worship. Week after week, the
footage practically shouted the psalmist’s words in Psalm 104: “How count -
less are your works, Lord! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is
full of your creatures.”
This is how God designed his creation — to point us to him. Scripture
tells us repeatedly that God made this world for his glory and pleasure. (And
which of us hasn’t stood on a beach or a mountaintop and been reminded of
his artistry and majesty?)
So it makes sense, then, that Christians would want to take care of
that which God has made and refrain from abusing what he has entrusted
to us to oversee.
As this issue’s cover story examines, it’s a subject that many Christians
are becoming increasingly vocal about. It’s also one that Biola University is
actively and thoughtfully engaging from a biblical perspective. Here on
campus and around the world, Biola and its graduates are putting up “green”
buildings, cutting back dramatically on waste and taking other steps, big and
small, to be better stewards.
Obviously, there are political and scientific questions to consider along
the way. Intelligent people can — and certainly do — differ over the extent to
which global climate change is happening, the extent to which humans are
causing it and the worthiness of governmental efforts to reverse it.
And from a biblical standpoint, Christians must be careful not to
elevate our calling to environmental stewardship above our primary calling
to share the gospel.
But as you’ll read in the pages ahead, many in the Biola community are
convinced that we don’t have to choose between the two. We can impact the
world for Christ without making a harmful impact on his creation.
B I O L A
Publisher Biola University
President Barry H. Corey
President’s Administrative Council
Greg Balsano, Vice President for University
Services; Christopher Grace, Vice President
for Student Development and University
Planning; Gary A. Miller, Provost; Adam
Morris, Vice President for Advancement;
Irene Neller, Senior Advisor to the President
for Communications and Senior Director
of Integrated Marketing Communications;
Carl Schreiber, Vice President for Financial
Affairs; Greg Vaughan, Vice President for
Enrollment Management
Editor Jason Newell
Managing Editor Brett McCracken
Art Director Dwayne Cogdill
Editorial Board Rick Bee (’79, M.A. ’90,
Ph.D. ’01), Barry H. Corey,
Brett McCracken, Brian Miller (’95),
Adam Morris (’90, M.A. ’97, Ph.D. ’02),
Irene Neller, Jason Newell (’02)
Biola Magazine is published quarterly
by Biola University’s Integrated Marketing
Communications department and is sent to
alumni, parents, supporters and friends of
the University. Biola’s mission is biblically
centered education, scholarship and
service — equipping men and women in
mind and character to impact the world for
the Lord Jesus Christ.
www.biola.edu/biolamag
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