Family in times of ecological crisis – theological perspective

Izabela Broszczak

Abstract

There is a lot that we can read and speak about ecology today, but also about its crisis. Searching for reasons of environmental degradation we can notice the problem of peoples desire to possess and dominate over creation. Such an attitude of the man is denying the will of God, which was presented to people at the very beginning of their existence: God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food (Genesis 1, 28-29). A new chance for the man and the created world is a family, where the man can experience the presence of God and pursue his vocation of love to the created world. A family and joint actions undertaken give the possibility of changing not only the destroyed nature, but the man as well. The family is the prime performer of Gods command to care about the created world. That is the man living in a family, according to the Gods will, who is supposed to rule over the earth in a responsible way and with love. That is why it so important for a family nowadays, in times of ecological crisis, to live ecologically. Healthy lifestyle together with respect for the whole creation make up a platform for understanding among people and a chance for appropriate implementation of Gods ecological command. To fulfill obediently Gods command of human service towards natural environment it is necessary to know what contemporary ecological threats are. One of the ways to protect nature, among many concerns for the work of Gods creation, is an environmental attitude towards procreation, which, in the family, reflects a servant attitude towards others, an attitude which is focused on giving and not on possessing or using. Mans responsibility for his family here and now, but also for future generations that are going to possess the earth with all its stock good and bad, is enormous. It is all the more necessary to form peoples sense of responsibility for preserving creation, scrupulous environmental attitude and knowledge about possible forms of family involvement in the affairs of ecology. It is necessary to retreat from the way of economical splendor and change the mode of thinking and acting in order to fulfill the assumptions. It is also necessary to realize
that the possibility of the cooperation with God in the creative plan of the earth isGods gift, great privilege for man.

Keywords:

work of creation, ecology, family, natural environment