Happy Earth Day in a few days! Since April 22, 1970 — longer than all of the parents of those attending our Christian childcare center have been alive — our country has celebrated a day to remember this planet we live on, contemplate the way in which it plays a part in providing us food, and stop to reflect on what we might do to make it a better place to be.
Now don’t worry, we’re not going to get New Age on you at all. We’re a Christian preschool, and won’t use the term “Mother Earth” even once. (Okay, just that once.) The truth is, there aren’t many people in this country who actually believe Earth to be a conscious entity. So when the average person, whether they’re a school teacher or a multi-doctorate scientist, talks about saving the planet, it’s honestly not the planet itself that they’re talking about. They’re talking about…well, let’s just start the discussion, shall we?
Why Should We Celebrate Earth Day?
So, why should you celebrate earth day with your child? Here are a few good reasons to bring it up around the dinner table.
Providing For Our Children
The most important reason to celebrate Earth Day is because we have to think about the future and the world our children will live in. You don’t want to leave them a planet where the temperature never drops below triple digits, where the corn won’t grow, and where they’re scared to have fish for dinner.
It can be difficult for people to think beyond the span of their lives. Most people have a hard time imagining a world in which they don’t exist, so it can be nearly impossible to imagine having to protect the planet for great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
In the end, we’re not saying that we should protect the planet for the planet’s sake. You should protect the planet so that your children have a healthier, and safer, place to live.
We Are Stewards
As a Christian preschool, it’s important to look at things from a Biblical perspective. According to the Bible, God gave us dominion over the animals and everything on the earth. At first, that might sound like we can do whatever we want, without consequence and with God’s full blessing. But that’s simply not the case. We are to be stewards of everything God gives us, whether it’s material possessions, the earth, or the people he puts into our care.
Think of it this way: When someone gives you a gift, do you destroy it? Do you neglect it with their full knowledge? Since God sees everything, he’s seeing us destroying the gift we’ve been put in charge of. We should definitely make Earth Day every day of the year if that’s the case.
It’s Right For Our Neighbor
Jesus made it very clear that “our neighbor” extends to everyone on the planet (and astronauts on the International Space Station). Unfortunately, damaging the earth here can have worse consequences for someone across the globe. When drinking water becomes undrinkable and oceanside shores sink underwater, those neighbors have to move someplace else. Unfortunately, that will lead to conflicts and wars over resources, which means a lot more misery that we should do everything we can to avoid.
The argument is sometimes made that “we should care for people more than we care for the planet.” But there’s no arguing that, by taking care of the planet, we are taking care of people.
Need Some Ideas For Earth Day?
If you want some great ideas for Earth Day coming up, we’ve got them in our next blog. Check back soon to find some fun activities you can do with our child. We bet you can come up with some really good ways to explore God’s world and the way in which kids can figure out how it works.
In the end, we don’t really care why you decide to take care of the earth. We just hope you’ll do whatever you can to leave the planet in good shape for the little ones you drop of at our Christian preschools here in the Fort Worth area. Contact us today to get the process started!
