Can Christianity and Environmentalism coincide?

Revelation 11:18 King James Version (KJV) And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. In the past Ive heard references from those who array themselves against the Gospel that Christians dont care about the environment. Im sure they could find examples to support this assertion, but by and large Ive found it to be false. Christians, who by definition have a relationship with Jesus Christ through His Holy Spirit and by the Scriptures, are admonished not to be greedy, not to lust after what doesnt belong to them, etc. I wonder where such an assertion comes from? In Genesis 1:28 we read where God told Adam and Eve to subdue the earth and have dominion over every living thing, but in the light of other scriptures this reads more like a call to stewardship than to wanton destruction. As we read in the Book of Joshua, when the Children of Israel came into the Promised Land, it was divided by lot to each tribe, family, and household. (Incidentally, the Nation of Israel was the only nation God instituted from scratch, which gives us good insight into how He would have us conduct our national affairs!) Everyone was given a parcel of land to farm, or if they preferred they could lease it out to someone else for up to 7 years. Respect for the land was enforced by the prohibition of farming for 1 year out of 7, allowing the land to have its Sabbath, or rest. Disobeying that decree was one of the reasons Israel was punished and removed from the Promised Land. They had violated the prohibition for 490 years. When they were carried away into Babylon, they stayed there for 70 years, allowing the land to finally enjoy its Sabbaths. Christians understand that the world was created by God, and thus see His artistry in every bird, tree, animal, plant, fish, insect, etc. God values all life. The Book of Revelation (5:13) shows that Gods throne is surrounded by living creatures, praising and glorifying Him. On earth they are His living, self-reproducing works of art. But the strongest example of how God feels about the earth is found in Revelation 11:18, where God promises to destroy them which destroy the earth. A Christian, having a relationship the Lord, coupled with a desire to study Scripture, cannot help but to develop a deep respect for the earth and all life thereon. People are allowed to utilize its resources, but should take only as much as they can personally use. The idea of ravishing and thus depleting the stocks of food or mineral resources in order to become vastly wealthy should be repugnant to any Christian. Those who do so are not only in defiance of Gods Will, but are in peril of his wrath to come. There must be a balance between need and greed, and may we successfully strike that balance when we ask for Gods guidance. God bless you. James Howard, www.apenforhisglory.com
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