Betsy Painter: Caring for God's Wild and Wondrous Planet

What is one of your earliest memories in nature?  What did you find particularly awe-inspiring and wonder-inducing about God’s creation?

One of my first memories is being wrist deep in dirt, sitting uphill from a creek lined with oaks and willows, scooping up dirt and molding it into a hill to make an ant and grasshopper duplex!  My childlike faith, fresh as heaven, colored my vision with wonder.  Everything I saw and touched was made by God, from the rocks I picked out to the grasshoppers I caught between my fingers.  I felt a giddy delight in my responsibility to care for the critters in my yard as I built them homes.

I can especially recall how my senses were engaged when I played outside in creation.  My fingertips felt the loam and grit of the dirt turning over in my hands.  I smelled the earthy, aromatic mixture of microbial soil, plucked grass, and fresh air.  I would’ve heard robins twittering and my dogs bustling.  I was known to taste a clover or two.  And my eyes took in the entire scene I was nestled in and a part of—the grass, insects, dandelions, oak trees, and sky.  I wonder at this moment now.  How God created our senses to “fire up” when we encounter his creation.  This is also one of my earliest memories of feeling alive and aware of God, as Creator.  We’re designed to participate in nature, and let the intricacies and grandeur of the planet draw us Godward.

You recently published a book, A Christian’s Guide to Planet Earth: Why it Matters and How to Care for It, which is a beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully written invitation for the church to care for creation.  It connects scripture with science, inspiring awe for the wild and wondrous planet and creatures God has made, while also awakening us to our responsibility.  What inspired you to write this book?

I believe that my family in the Faith has the reason, the hope, and the resources to make a difference and to seize the opportunity to reflect the gospel message of loving things to life—my intention with this book is to stir our hearts to love all of God’s creation.  To ensure that we view nature with reverence and kindness.  Together, I want us to reclaim our God-designed connection to the planet and our role in bringing it toward a state of flourishing for God’s glory and as a service to people, particularly vulnerable populations.

I also believe that God has been at work stirring up in the Church a concern for and awareness of environmental problems.  Christians engaging with and caring for the planet has been a theme for centuries, but right now there is a particular urgency with the alarming levels of pollution, an erratic climate, and biodiversity on decline.  Many friends have expressed concern, and that they don’t know what to do to help.  My hope is that this book will contribute to the practical resources available that show us how to make changes and make a difference.

In your book, each chapter is accompanied by simple and practical ways we can make a difference on our planet, whether combating invasive species or saving endangered ones.  Can you share with us some of these choices we can make in our everyday lives to help recover and restore God’s beauty in creation? 

What’s really a big help is any effort to cut back on our consumption and our waste.  Our clothes, computers, phones, cars, home appliances, energy for our heating and cooling systems, and our food are all sourced from the planet.  Finding creative ways to simplify our living towards a gentler way of interacting with creation helps the environment and can bring peace to our lives.  We can start by developing an attentiveness to what we use from the earth every day.

I think a lot about food waste.  Did you know every year Americans throw out nearly 80 billion pounds of food?  By making changes to our buying and eating habits, we can better steward and appreciate the gift of food.  An easy way to make a difference here is to understand expiration labels.  There’s a difference between “Best if used by,” which describes a state of food quality that may not be the highest in taste, while still being safe to consume, and “Use by,” which is for perishable foods that have a time limit for food safety.

You can also easily compost, which works wonders for soil health in your home garden, as mulch in your yard and for houseplants.  You can freeze or repurpose food, like meat and bread, and I love freezing fruit and vegetables for making smoothies later.  Learning how to make fruit jam and pickles is fun and good for the planet (there are so many tutorials online!).