ACT 2: NO SCRUBS

 

MARCH 3, 2022

Alright. Some of us are clean freaks. Others prefer to live in organised chaos. One thing we can all agree on, though, is that our communities feel like nicer places when they're litter-free. It's better for the environment, and easier on the eye. Roll your sleeves up and make your world cleaner today.



If you're not heading out today, or you only have half an hour, why not offer to do the chores for someone else in your house – a family member, or a roommate perhaps. It might feel a bit awkward to ask your neighbour if they need anything cleaned up, but if you share a communal area, start there.



Remember that circle of friends we identified yesterday? Well, today's your chance to plan a get -together for a cause. Organise a cleaning party – perhaps you'll all get together to pick up litter, or clean off some graffiti). Put a date on the calendar and start planning!





The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15)

It had been years since I’d seen one of these. A Christian bumper sticker caught my eye. It was old and peeling around the edges, but the ‘This is not my home, I’m just passing through’ sticker was still intact. That's a contrast to what we have been talking about "LOVING WHERE YOU LIVE", dont you think? That bumpersticker reminded me of something very important that there are those who are followers of Jesus who believe that planet earth is only a "stopgap before the main performance on the stage of heaven."



Genesis 2:15 makes clear that from the start we were made to ’work, dress and care for creation’. So the plan was never that the bumper sticker would be true.



Earth isn’t a stop-off; it is our home and – as shown in Revelation 21– heaven is going to invade earth. Heaven is coming to us.


Which means, in my view, we need to roll up our sleeves because we have work to do. We need to be involved in working, dressing and caring for creation. It’s not something to consume and then destroy, but to care for and restore. Our role is to be stewards of the great gift of earth, stone, water and air. We are to work to bring about a restored creation, a beautiful creation, a creation that reminds us of Eden.

Where is your Garden of Eden? What are your Eden streets called? We each have a Garden of Eden to love, treasure, clean, restore, dress, preserve and bring justice for. So, let’s not wait let’s get involved and live up to the first challenge in the Bible.