Denial - or changing perspective?

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"Aren't you afraid you'll just get written off as one of those people who says 'just leave it to God'?"

The question came from talk-show host Frank Pastore back in 2008, as he gave me 10 minutes of air time to talk about A Very Convenient Truth, Version One. Frank's show is on KKLA Los Angeles, a Christian station, and he'd brought me on after I'd sent a note pointing out that diverting using grain to produce motor fuel rather than food was against God's plan -- Gen. 1:29 "it shall be food for you". (In other words: not for powering motor vehicles.)

The interview itself was a disaster, since Frank threw some curves at me (he is, after all, a retired baseball pitcher) that I wasn't able to handle and I think I came off looking likea kook (don't say it), but that question about "leave it to God" gave me something to think about and it's lurked in the back of my mind as I meditated more about God, the environment, and the obsession over global warming/climate change. It reminded me that a lot of people might think that -- and those just happen to be the very people who need to be reached with this message.

I believe I've managed to address that in writing Version Two.

For the record, I did have an answer to that question: "this is too important not to leave to God".

The fact is, once we consider the responsibility God placed on us right from the start to be His "branch managers" for the earth, considering the promises in His Word is a must. His Word calls us to draw close to Him and worship Him -- not some flighty, mythological witch called "Mother Nature" -- and that when we do, He will heal the land and give us the Grace to make proper use of the wonderful Creation He has given us. The current "green" obsession takes our focus off Him, as if He were irrelevant; yet without a focus on God, to whom are we accountable for our actions?

A Very Convenient Truth points out something else: for decades, we have been trying to solve man-made problems with man-made solutions.  (Regardless of whether climate change is man-made or no, or any alteration of man's behaviour will ultimately derail the changes in our environment, there are changes underway and Scripture tells us what we are supposed to do when we see them.) We have to come to terms with the fact that in spite of those efforts, the situation has grown worse (at least, according to the numerous studies and reports by scientific panels). Now is the time to remember that, "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it." (Psalm 127:1); if actions have not borne fruit, maybe we have to consider that God is not blessing those actions.

In other words, if we really want to see something positive out of this whole experience with climate change/global warming, it's time to get to know what the Maker has to say about what He has made.