In Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture: An Agrarian Reading of The Bible, Ellen Davis shares an anecdote about a student who “had a job interview at a Christian school in California where staff members cited the lack of recycling bins as an expression of their faith: by using up ‘resources’ as quickly as possible, they were hastening the coming of the Lord.”
This anecdote illustrates a widespread assumption among many (not all) modern American Christians. The assumption is that whatever God’s original intention in creating the universe, this world is now a damaged product, fit only for destruction.
People holding to these anti-creational assumptions are often surprised, and perhaps gladdened, to discover that the Orthodox-Catholic tradition has a theology of trees, and that many saints tell us to love the trees. An anecdote shared in Toward an Ecology of Transfiguration: Orthodox Christian Perspectives on Environment, Nature, and Creation, tells how pilgrims to Mt. Athos, the heart of Greek monasticism, encounter signs saying “Love the trees.” Nor are the Athonite monks alone: Kyle King of Barrel Aged Faith recently shared the testimony of wise men from St. Basil to Tolkien that love of nature in general (and perhaps, trees in particular) is the spiritual duty of Christians.
Part of the difficulty in appreciating a theology of nature comes down to eschatology: for over a century, Western Christians have been taught that God will destroy the physical world. As I explained in my book, Rediscovering the Goodness of Creation: A Manual for Recovering Gnostics,
Many modern Christians who have been taught erroneous ideas about the future widely overlook, if not completely deny, the fundamental Christian hope of a transformed world. Such ideas are often more akin to heresies condemned by the Fifth Council than traditional Christianity. For example, modern Christians widely assume that Jesus will return to destroy rather than to renew the earth. By wrongly interpreting the apocalyptic language in 2 Peter 3:10–12, many imagine that God does not care about the world but plans to destroy it with fire. For example, in his book Art and Faith, Makoto Fujimura shared how he recently heard a pastor say, “There are only two things that last eternally: God’s Word and people. Everything else is going to burn up.”
These ideas have consequences, including a trend toward anti-environmentalism among the conservative right that I have discussed elsewhere. To adequately address this, of course, we need to recover a truly Biblical view of creation, redemption, and eschatology. But it might also help to follow the Athonites by putting up a few more signs telling people to love nature. And my friends at Antiochian Village are already making progress toward that. When I visited the village last month, I was delighted to take a walk through the woods on a trail dotted with placards with quotes from saints about the love of nature. The next time I visit, I promise to take pictures to share. But for now, I’ll leave you with one quote that is displayed in the woodland walk at Antiochian Village:
“I want Creation to penetrate you with so much admiration that, wherever you go, the least plant may bring you the clear remembrance of the Creator.” —St. Basil of Cappadocia
Further Reading
- There Is A Spiritual Reason Why Tolkien & the ☦️ Orthodox Saints Had A Deep Love of Trees!
- Full Links to Gnosticism Series
- Ancient Faith Today – How Not to Be Gnostic (w/ Robin Phillips & Dr. Phillip Cary)