My son, Bryce, and I recently visited Disney World for vacation. We had a blast –even in the midst of the blazing Florida heat. In classical Disney style, every aspect of the experience was carefully planned and produced –including the message.
What message am I talking about? If you’ve visited Disney recently, it is hard to miss. I’ll sum it up in three words: “Save the Planet.” This theme seemed to be woven into every attraction’s story line, every show’s dialogue, and every sign’s content.
Before you read further, let me be clear: My goal here is not to debate the legitimacy of environmental studies, global warming research, or policies. I’m not a scientist nor politician.
What bothers me about the message, “Save the Planet,” is found in the first word: save. In and of itself, it may not be a bad idea. However, the implications could be dangerous. Let me explain.
The “Save the Planet” mantra takes various forms. We are called to save endangered animals, habitats, rainforests, swamplands, fossil fuels, and water. That’s a lot to save. At one point during our Disney trip, one of the cast members asked my son directly, “can you imagine what would happen if we didn’t save this animal from extinction?” As an animal lover, I could empathize with the question. But still, I wanted to retort, “would it really be that bad? Would it really be the end of the world?”
And that’s when it clicked in my mind. All of the “save the ______” messages imply that if humans don’t act, it will be the end of the world. Funny how you never hear anyone say, “Let’s pray that God will preserve the polar bears.” The “save the _____” message makes out mankind as the ultimate savior of all things. And if we keep repeating the message long enough, we all start to believe it. That, my friends, is blasphemy.
Have we forgotten that we are stewards and not saviors? There is only one savior who is sovereign over all creation. He has given us a responsibility to steward his creation (which we must take seriously), while submitting to His authority (which we must take even more seriously).
We must quit making man out to be God. After all, our 70-year life span seems rather small compared to the thousands of years the earth has been around. Really, who are we to be saviors?
The more we assume God’s role of savior, the more our morality corrodes. But that shouldn’t surprise us, should it? If sinners are gods, we are all in trouble. Is it any wonder that today you hear far more about saving the planet than saving unborn babies? Does it bother you that we have become obsessed with saving rainforests rather than Christ saving souls?
Don’t get me wrong. We do have a responsibility to steward creation with great care. So please don’t litter, waste, etc. But more importantly, don’t try to be a savior. Acknowledge and submit to God’s role as savior, and our role as steward. True hope lies not in saving this creation, but in being saved by the Creator!
A million times “amen!”