The two great commandments under the law are “Love God” and “Love your Neighbor.” How does loving the land fit into that?
37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”
-- Matthew 22:37-40, NASB
Several months ago, I laid out the foundations of my theology. Importantly, although ecotheology is a niche I’m interested in, it’s not one of those foundations; it’s built on them.
The foundations of my faith are ‘Love God’ and ‘Love your Neighbor.’ I find this throughout the Bible, the theme of the story of God in which we participate. One of the Old Testament verses I come back to over and over expresses this succinctly as well:
What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
-- Michah 6:8
So how does ‘Love the Land,’ fit into this framework that focuses on God and neighbor? In a way, this is the big question that ecotheology tries to answer. And I see ‘Love the Land’ as a way to act out ‘Love God’ and ‘Love your Neighbor.’ We love God by obeying Him - and He called us to care for the land. We love Him by worshiping Him - and time spent out in Creation can lead us into worship. We love our neighbor by rooting ourselves amongst our neighbors - committing to the land we’re on and the people who surround us. We love them by seeking justice for them - ensuring they have a healthy living environment, adequate resources, and good food. There are many more ways to love God and neighbor, but these are the issues ecotheology focuses on.
How do you love your God, neighbor, and land?
Loving God - spending time with Him, praising Him, following His commandments
Loving my neighbor - helping, cheerfully greeting, being involved in relationship
Loving the land - picking up trash, protecting wetlands, setting aside land for future generations to enjoy