J. Matthew Sleeth - Serving God, Saving the Planet Guidebook: A Call to Care for Creation and Your Soul

In the beginning, God created the heavens andthe earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep,and the Spirit of God was hovering over thewaters. And God said,Let there be light,andthere was light.

Genesis 1:13 NIV

This was the beginning of the beginning the moment when God chose to create a universe for His own glory. God speaks the first sentence of a love story that will include all creatures and all people throughout all the ages and it all begins with light.

Everyone we know and everything we see starts with God speaking light into existence. Scripture is full of references to light: light is used to represent Gods goodness (Psalm 56:13), a guide (Psalm 43:3), and the truth (John 3). God Himself is light (1 John 1:5). So, its not surprising that when God sends His only begotten Son, He is called the Light of the World who conquers all darkness. And we, as followers of Jesus, are called to be children of light (Ephesians 5) and the light of the world (Matthew 5).

In choosing to follow Christ, we become new people with new priorities. God changes our hearts and our behaviors change, too. Its not about following a list of rules; its about following the lifestyle of Jesus.

Just before Jesus left this earth, He said, Go into the world and preach the gospel to all the creatures, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything Ive commanded you. The very first commandment we were given in the Bible is recorded in Genesis 2:15. We were told to tend and care for this garden the earth. We cant go out and make disciples while simultaneously destroying the water, the air, and the creatures that God loves. If we dont respect the world around us, were missing a major part of what God commanded us to do.

Its time for the church, as children of the light, to take a leadership role in caring for the planet. And it will be good.

My first scientific encounter with light occurred in kindergarten.I cant recall my teachers name, but I remember the experimentwe conducted.

Our class filled two clay pots with dirt. We planted beanseeds in both pots and watered them. We then placed one pot ina closet and shut the door and put the other outside in a courtyard, in the sunshine.

After a number of days, both plants sent up shoots and for ashort while they resembled each other. Both grew on the energystored within the planted seed. As the days passed, the plant inthe sun began to change. It turned green and beautiful. The plantin the dark closet continued to grow for awhile, but it looked paleand spindly. It never produced any fruit or seeds of its own.

What I learned in kindergarten is that life runs on sunshine.Irrespective of whether its you, me, or a tree, life on earth isdependent on the element of light.

When we give ourselves over to God, we step from darknessinto a great light. The light is necessary for beauty, growth, andbearing fruit. We cannot supply the light on our own any morethan the plant in the closet can make itself green.

Dr. Matthew Sleeth

As you watch the first film session on Light, feel free to use the space below to jot down any notes, thoughts, and questions.

Why do you think the creation story begins with light?

And God said,Let there be light,and there was light. God saw that the lightwas good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1:34 NIV

Can you recall an experience when light made you feel closer to God through an inspiring sunrise, rainbow, light sheeting through the clouds, or sunset? Describe the scene and what it taught you about God.

When we behold the light and brightness of the sun, the golden edges of anevening cloud, or the beauteous rainbow, we behold the adumbrations of Hisglory and goodness, and in the blue sky, of His mildness and gentleness.

Jonathan Edwards (17031758), Reflections of Glory

Dr. Sleeth explains, As the light of the world, Jesus is a beacon for all of us. Hes a model of how to live, how to conduct our everyday life. In what sense is Jesus a model for our everyday choices?

What does it mean to become a child of the light? What actions are light and what actions are dark in terms of caring for creation?

Jesus asks us to become children of light.

Dr. Matthew Sleeth

A regular incandescent bulb wastes 90 percent of the energy it consumes producing heat instead of visible light. In what ways do we waste our energy and not produce the light that God wants us to?

By contrast, an energy-efficient bulb uses about 90 percent of the energy going in to make light. Its light that we can do something by. In practical terms, how does stewarding our resources more wisely show our love for God and our neighbors around the world?