People asked me whether I would put my name on this article. The reason I chose to expose myself is that I am not tied down by this anymore. I am free and I do not need to hide or conceal my identity. I am taking ownership of my struggle and my victory – I have neither shame nor fear anymore. My name is Lauren Bersaglio, and this is my story.

It all began four years ago when I made the decision to see if I could make it through a day without eating. Little did I know that that one choice, that one thought, in that one moment would redirect my life. My first attack of anorexia lasted two months. I was eating just enough to stay alive and nothing more. I kept thinking to myself “two more pounds and then I will start eating again”; but inevitably I’d always find another two pounds to lose.

I do not remember how or why I started eating normally again; I think it was mere circumstances. I knew if I continued starving myself I was going to get caught, and I was too humiliated to want anyone to find out. However, the battle was not over; it had only begun. Throughout the rest of that year, old habits would flair up during times of stress or emotional lows. I would go a day or two without eating and then I’d be setting the table and begin feeling faint. I’d realize what I was doing was not healthy and so I would force myself back into a life of eating. The diet rules I set for myself, however, were so restricting that I was never really free.

Each time I would tell myself ‘never again’; but as sure as life throws curve balls, I would find myself yet again with an empty stomach and a heavy heart. For the most part I kept my anorexia a secret; I only talked about it when I was not dealing with it. I always spoke in the past tense: “Yeah, I struggled with anorexia, but it’s over now.” It wasn’t that I was lying to people; I honestly believed it was over, and every time it reappeared I felt confused and defeated.

By the middle of 2009 I had been free from any anorexic behaviour for almost a year. However, as the stresses of life began building up, once again I found myself unable to cope in a healthy way. This time, however, I was so afraid of returning to old habits that instead I took on a new one: binge eating. My bingeing was very sporadic; I would struggle with it for a few days then I would go back to normal life and then a month later it would re-emerge. See, the thing I learnt about eating disorders is that food becomes this powerful substance that fools you into thinking it is the only way to cure the pain. When I was struggling with anorexia, I would regain a sense of control by not letting food in; when I took on binge eating, I would numb the pains and stresses of life with the comfort of food.

By the end of 2009 I realized the only way I would respond to stress was through eating. I also realized that binge eating did not stick well with me. Not only did I not like what it was doing to my appearance, but it also made me feel like I was out of control – and I hated feeling out of control. So I made another decision. Once again this decision happened in one moment with one choice and one action: I purged. The moment it happened I knew my life would never be the same again; from then on I would live with the knowledge that I could eat whatever I wanted and then make it as if it had never happened. And just like that I was in control again. Or so I thought.

For the better part of a month I found myself fighting two battles: one against bulimia and the other against anorexia. I did not care much for purging so I would try starving and then I’d realize I wanted to be normal so I’d eat properly for a few days and then I’d fall back into the cycle.

The bulimic and anorexic behaviour wore off as my stresses deflated. Then my family moved and I found myself in a new place with a new life and I swept my issues under the rug. I told people I was done with them forever, that they had simply disappeared. I was telling them this because I truly believed it. However, when something is pushed under the rug it is never content staying there.

This past March I was hit by what Shakespeare refers to as “The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” In other words, life blindsided me. I managed to get back up on my feet; however, I did not notice the current that was building beneath the surface. It started when my homework began piling up and I became overwhelmed with the amount of work I needed to accomplish in a short period of time. Needless to say, I was stressed. And I began eating. It started with a few harmless (but unnecessary) snacks and within a couple days it turned into uncontrollable bingeing. Before I knew it, I was leaning over the toilet with my finger down my throat again – the position of defeat. I realized I was back there; the monsters had crept out from under the rug and come to play, only this time they were playing to kill.

What started as one binge and purge in one day turned into two or three in a day. Then the bingeing stopped, but the purging continued. I was throwing up as many as five times a day. I couldn’t eat a piece of toast without rushing to the bathroom straight afterwards. I had lost control.

The experience of purging, I found, was incredibly traumatising. It started with the unpleasant action of forcing myself to vomit, and was followed by the bloodshot eyes underlined with dark circles, the puffy face, and the constant feeling of defeat. Giving in to bulimia became my only focus. I wasn’t getting any work done; I was eating, purging and sleeping. Almost immediately I felt the physical toll on my body. My stomach burnt from all of the acid build up and my throat felt raw and strained. My teeth had made permanent marks on my right index finger and I was low on energy and had a permanent, dull headache. I knew I had to stop purging, but I couldn’t. When I ate, even if I intended to keep the food down, it always ended the same – me bending over the toilet, allowing my life to slip out of my hands.

I realized as long as I was eating I would continue to purge. That’s when anorexia came knocking again – only this time it was far worse than it had ever been. No longer was my motivation losing weight; I was motivated strictly by fear. Rather than eating tiny bits of food every so often, I was eating nothing. I was so afraid of vomiting that I became unable to put anything in my mouth – not even juice. I went three days without food. On one of those days social obligation forced me to eat lunch; but after eating I purged, further confirming in my mind that the only way to avoid throwing up was to starve.

By the third day I was a wreck. I could hardly stand up without being overcome by dizziness. Exhausted, in pain, and emotionally broken, I wandered from class to class, lifeless. I didn’t want it to be that way; I wanted to be outside with the living, but I was trapped. I was being held captive by my fear and addiction. I had no escape. I told close friends about my problem, but there was little they could do to help; the choice was up to me. I had to decide if I wanted help or not, and the frightening truth: I didn’t want it. The more I realized how addicted I’d become the more frightened I became. I didn’t want to destroy myself but I couldn’t stop what I was doing to myself either. I found myself sitting across from friends trembling and petrified, my shaky voice telling them how much I didn’t want to die. But the darkness had sunk in too far; I didn’t know how to stop it. I had lost all control – I was a slave.

In desperation, I went to one of my professors. As I sat across from him, numb and broken, I asked him how much longer I could live like this. He informed me that without food a human being has thirty days to live. I went back to my apartment and tried to sleep, but my mind would not shut off: thirty days and then dead. Not passed out and in the hospital, but dead. Gone forever. I wanted to be alive!
I curled up on the couch hugging my knees and began crying uncontrollably. I was killing myself and I couldn’t stop. I knew what I had to do; I had to save my life.

I called up my closest friends, who came from all over the city. They sat in my living room with me for over three hours. I explained to them that I was destroying myself and that I wanted to be alive but I didn’t want to stop what I was doing. I told them I couldn’t stop and that I didn’t want their help. That’s when my roommate stepped in. She told me, “Lauren, you can do it. You are doing it right now; you called us all here because you want to stop this. You want to quit and you can.”

I looked around the room at the people I love and who love me and I realized I was hurting them. I had to stop what I was doing to myself, if not for myself, then for them. So for the first time, I let them pray for me. I handed it over to God and told Him I didn’t want it anymore. I was able to do this because Jesus already paid the price for it; He paid for it on the cross. He was simply waiting for me to give it to Him and when I did I was transformed. It was as if I were awakened from a bad dream. I stood up straighter, my eyes shone, and God breathed life back into me. I was free.

A few days later I found myself sitting on the bathroom counter facing a decision: I could give in to my weaker self: purge and kill my chances of enjoying my evening, or I could overcome and have a great night. I thought about what it is I wanted, a good night or a bad, and then I made my choice; I stood up, walked out of the bathroom, grabbed my coat, and went to the CanAm game. I overcame and I had a great night.

That night I realized the battle is still not over; this is something I will have to face for the rest of my life. There will be many more nights spent sitting on the bathroom counter rocking back and forth between giving in and overcoming; sometimes I will make the right decision and sometimes I will make the wrong one. It is a decision I will have to make every morning when I wake up and every night before I go to sleep. Even while writing this article I have binged twice and purged once. But the difference is I am not afraid anymore. I know that God is here with me through all of it. The fight is still not over, but now I have the right armour on. And I know it will not defeat me because I have God on my side and I have an army of people who love me. Opening up and allowing myself to receive help was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do, but it was a decision that saved my life. I am not afraid anymore because I know that no matter how many bad days I have, no matter how many relapses and slips back into darkness I have, it will not defeat me because my people will not let it.

What makes a good story are beautiful characters; in this past month I have learnt my life is filled with them. This is how I know my life will be a good story. I will have a happy ending. I am sure of this now. And I am not the anorexic girl or the bulimic girl; I am a girl who struggles with anorexia and bulimia. It does not define me. And now that I have given it over to Jesus, which is what He was waiting for all along, I know that I will always overcome because He already won this battle for me; He did it on the cross. I am not alone. You are not alone. And hope is never lost. We are free – Jesus bought us that Freedom. That is what Easter is all about.

© Copyright 2010 Lauren Bersaglio

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All of this to foreground my thesis: tanning does not necessarily make people look “better.” We could ask why in places like Taiwan and much of Asia, cosmetic stores are lined not with tanning lotion, but with whitening cream–or why tanning beds are practically unheard of around the world. Perhaps a lot of it has to do with our abundance of rain and lack of sun. It really is human nature to desire what one does not possess.

Is it grounded in some sort of beatific or aesthetic reality to claim that people look better with tanned skin? People definitely seem to think that having a tan immediately merits a compliment of improvement in appearance. My co-workers last summer (all women) gave some standard (and I think completely undeserved) compliments on how the tan I received on my road-trip looked nice: to translate, “better.” I was actually somewhat offended by these compliments, which clearly implied that I was defective before I had received my tan. Personally, I considered the freckles I got from my over-exposure to the sun to be defective!

A flagrant and powerful challenge to the opinion that tans “look better” is the fact that the standards of beauty in most parts of the world consider swarthy skin as less desirable. I would argue based on this premise, that our present cultural opinions of aesthetics and appearance regarding the “betterness” of tanning is largely, if not entirely socially constructed–probably possessing an interesting (recent) history of its own. 

And of course, it is my personal opinion that tans do not necessarily (or even usually) make people look better. Tans have their place and the summer has a unique seasonal beauty with its accompanying human beauty – but so does winter (and fall and spring).  In summary, I see no aesthetic, appearance-related or evolutionary reason to think tanned skin is beauty-enhancing. 

Therefore, the idea of the superior beauty of tanned skin is yet another Western Absolutism that should be dethroned. Our emerging openness to non-Western cultural evaluations and critiques should inform the way that we treat our bodies this summer. I think we can be a little bit less feverish to expose our limbs to the sun for those few extra minutes this summer. Save your money and your skin, and find something better to buy with your Western currency than tanning lotions and tanning beds.  

I am not mocking those who have felt spiritually challenged within these walls. I recognize how intimidating it can be to face the world of university academics, aggressively persuasive professors, and endless devil’s-advocate discussions. My faith was shaken as I have proceeded through the classrooms of RNT and Northwest; but it was never destroyed.

Many of us were raised in what could be termed a “sheltered existence.” Sure, very few of us enjoyed picture-perfect families and lives devoid of difficulty, but let’s be honest: how many controversial subjects were actually brought into our churches growing up? How many truly shocking statements echoed from the pulpit?

Yes, apathy is a solution. It is a natural response to become defensive when confronted with eloquent arguments that clash with our personal values. It is easier to avoid topics that could carry us to uncomfortable conclusions and to refuse to wrestle with anything that could weaken our resolve.

However, life is defined through struggle. C.S. Lewis writes, “You never know how much you really believe something until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.” Ok, so we’re not talking about life and death, but the point remains.

Faith does not preclude the presence of doubt; faith requires it. We are either moving forward or falling behind—we cannot stay in one place. I, for one, do not wish to be a spoon-fed follower of God. I do not wish to blindly accept my family’s beliefs as my own. I do not wish to be someone who backs down when the hard questions are asked.

I wish to be a person identified by a sincere, authentic, vibrant faith that has been exposed to every qualm, every uncertainty, every possibility, and come out stronger on the other side. TWU is the best possible environment to provide this foundation. Of course, some classes are guaranteed to bring overt theology into the classroom. How can you legitimately compare history or psychology with RELS?

Regardless, we need to stop thinking from such dualistic, fractured perspectives and understand the nuances of bringing God into every classroom. Our worldview informs our every interaction with others. Every time a professor welcomes a fresh angle or invites discussion on an issue out of the mainstream, we are growing as learners, as Christians and as human beings. After all, one of the explicit aims of our education is to become critical thinkers.

I would seriously question the knowledge of the scholar who crumbles under any analysis. I would seriously question the faith of the Christian who crumbles under any dispute. Let us embrace the chance we’ve been offered to study in a place where academic freedom is indeed limitless and faith exploration is supported by a community of people committed to the truth. Let us never look back.

10. Classic horror movie marathon: Start off your summer with a selection of unforgettable horror flicks. Not scary enough? Try watching the 1984 classic Nightmare on Elm Street alone in a vacant house!

9. Volunteer your time: A very philanthropic way to spend your time this summer. Already volunteering? Check out some extreme volunteer options where you can work at an elephant camp in Thailand, or care for child AIDS victims in Ghana.

8. High ropes course: Fear of heights? High ropes courses can be found all over B.C., even at TWU. Already done that? Check out WildPlay Nanaimo, and take the Wild Leap of Faith: a bungee jump off a bridge dunking you into the river below.

7. Summer school: Spending your summer in a classroom…need I say more?

6. Donate a prized possession: We all can give our used clothing and bits and pieces, but what about the things we value the most? Give your beloved hockey gear to an after school kids program or your sacred leather bound bible to a newly baptized member of your church.

5. Jump off a cliff: Everyone is doing it…why shouldn’t you? Don’t choose just any cliff; there are plenty of reputable organizations that do safe cliff jumps all the way from B.C. Lakes to Nor Cal Rivers.

4. Lead a Bible study: Okay, I know what you are thinking, but this one is for those who have been ignoring God’s call to leadership. It can be scary, but trust me, it is worth it!

3. Go skydiving: Nothing I know can excite the nerves more than jumping out of a plane for a free fall at 12,000 feet. Don’t believe me? Check out the Abbotsford Skydive Centre, which is open for jumps 7 days a week – oh, and be sure to bring a friend!

2. Face your fears: Whatever you are afraid of, this summer is the time to face that fear! Slithering creatures freaking you out? Check out a reptile show to visit with some snakes. Does speaking in public make your stomach wrench? Join Toastmasters to reign in your public panic.

1. Just say yes: Ever see the movie Yes Man? The premise: say yes to whatever people ask you to do. Try this for a day and see what kinds of crazy things you can get talked into. Hey, by the way…wanna go skydiving?

To God be the glory.

Since 1988, there has been no abortion regulation to protect unborn Canadians up to and including the ninth month of pregnancy. The network was established in 2008, the 20th anniversary of the historic Morgentaler decision, when all abortion laws were struck down to protect the woman’s right to “security of person” under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Is abortion still relevant? Andrea Mrozek, a protestant Christian, shares her frustration with some young evangelicals, who, despite being involved in other worthy causes, avoid the abortion issue, seeing it as being “their parents’ issue.”

Although she once shared this view, Mrozek emphasizes that abortion affects other issues. Even a ‘current’ concern, such as AIDS in Africa, “hits the question of condoms in Africa, family planning in Africa, sexual behaviour and morality–suddenly and quickly one finds oneself needing to debate reproductive rights.”

Recently, The Globe and Mail’s Michael Valpy questioned why the abortion issue comes to life so quickly both in Canada (such as the latest G8 discussion on maternal health) and America (regarding abortion funding and health-reform). Abortion, Valpy reports, quoting Obama, “is a moral question,” and such questions “never go away.”

Nonetheless, Valpy relates a change in U.S. public opinion resulting from recent pro-life focus on scientific, technological developments (such as ultrasound technology), and young, female voices supporting both mother and child. Yet Valpy wonders whether inaction would be a typical Canadian solution.

Stephanie Gray, co-founder of the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform, remarks, “Many in our society seem to want [abortion] to be a dead issue…I think they do because all of us are affected by it.”

“I do have a lot of hope,” she adds. “I see… the end result of broken families, yet amidst that I see so many people rising up to say ‘I want to help these individuals’, and do.”

Gray continues to say she also witnesses “ministry being set up to bring healing to those who are wounded, of people acknowledging that a crisis exists, and mobilizing to address it.”

In Canada, education advocacy organizations such as Signal Hill (thesignalhill.com) strive to provide Canadians with informed choice, on the belief that people “rarely make a decision that would harm themselves or others.” Local pregnancy centres now offer sexual integrity resources in addition to other services such as post-abortion counselling. Furthermore, Silent No More is part of an organization formed by those who have been affected by abortions speaking out to encourage others like them to find healing from past decisions.

Like many, ProWomanProLife’s Andrea Mrozek adopts a vision of young Canadians integrating pro-life perspectives into professional decisions and personal actions. Let us embrace this vision at TWU, and welcome human life with the courage of Mary, protect it with the strength of Joseph, and celebrate it with the joyful leap of John the Baptist. Let us come alive with a message of hope and resolve for change.

Many students share Leah Cummins’s sentiment, not just of professor Townsend, but of all professors that have chosen to enlighten the very essences of every student here at Trinity.

Professors are paid to impart information to the students; they speak for their allotted time and in many universities that is where the interaction between professor and student would end. However, at TWU that interaction continues long after the class has ended.
The professors reach within their vast experiences to convey the knowledge needed not only to succeed but also to enhance the working environment students will find themselves in upon graduation.

Greg Reinhart commented on these qualities when he said, “[My] business teachers are professionals of their professions. They are at the top of their industries because of their knowledge, experiences and morals.”

James Huang continued this conviction with his comment about another professor. “Gordon Chutter, he’s great at teaching us by sharing his experiences in the Human Services that relate to our practicum.”

Each student has different stories that could expound upon why Trinity professors go beyond being just another Ph.D. amongst the vast waves of intellectualism; these professors actually reach out to connect with students where they are at in life.

“I can’t pick the best [class] but one of my favourites…was Backgrounds to English Lit (Greek mythology) with Sarah Pearson,” explained Leah Gunter. “She introduced a card game similar to ‘Go Fish’ except it was with names of gods that needed to be matched to their attributes. It was very fun and I later adapted that to studying for other subjects.”

Many professors at TWU are masters at intermingling a humorous personality with a prolific amount of information, making their class something to look forward to during the day.

Nicole Douglas gives an example of her experience: “Any class with Ned Vankevich is going to be an exciting class. He has a sense of humour to go only with his broad range of knowledge on [countless subjects].”

As Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” With countless professors standing together, freely giving of themselves day in and day out, it is little wonder we are given an education that is one of the best in North America, if not the world. See you next year!

The Spring 2010 students of the Laurentian Leadership Centre have learned that social justice issues are not the issues of NGOs alone; politics and government play a large role in advancing social justice and human rights causes.

Laura-Kay Rudat, 4th year psychology and international studies major, came to the LLC motivated by the desire to combat human trafficking. Without much interest in politics, her original inclination was to seek an internship placement with an NGO or the RCMP. Instead, she was placed in the office of Conservative MP Joy Smith, who Laura-Kay now calls an inspiration.

Smith, like Laura-Kay, entered politics motivated by one issue: the abolition of sex trafficking. A teacher and mother of six, Smith gave up an attractive job promotion to become a Member of Parliament and work to see justice achieved. Last year she tabled bill C-268 which would require mandatory minimum sentences for all traffickers of children. Much of Laura-Kay’s role in the office has been working to
promote bill C-268.

The time spent working in Smith’s office has shown Laura-Kay that though one person can make an enormous difference, one person cannot accomplish anything alone. Cooperation between NGOs, filmmakers, church groups and involved individuals have all worked together with Smith’s office to provide the support and expertise needed to get bill C-268 passed.

“Meeting a variety of people who are working on this issue around the world made me excited for what I can do with my future,” said Laura-Kay. “There are tons of opportunities globally to fight human trafficking.”

On the other end of the political spectrum, Katie Reed, 4th year political studies student, is the first student in recent memory to have been placed with an NDP Member of Parliament. An aspiring human rights lawyer, she was first made aware of MP Wayne Marston through his involvement on the Parliamentary human rights subcommittee.

Marston has worked extensively in Parliament on issues of international human rights, including: Canadian citizens being held abroad, human rights issues surrounding Ethiopia’s May 2010 election, and torture. In March, Marston tabled private members’ bill, the “Prevention of Torture Act.”

“I didn’t know how my internship would be helpful for my career, since I’m not planning on going into politics,” commented Katie.
“However, since I’ve been there, I’ve not only been connected with some of the major Canadian human rights activists and lawyers, but I’ve also learned all about human rights laws and processes. It’s really strengthened my desire to go into human rights law as my career. There is really a lot that needs to be done.”

No student completes the Laurentian Leadership Centre without learning valuable lessons along the way. Featured prominently this semester was the lesson of necessary cooperation between various organizations and political parties if justice is to be achieved.

A group of youth and I chose to help out a specific country that had seen its fair share of injustice and torment: Afghanistan. In the beginning, we had very innocent and sincere ambitions for raising money for Afghan children. We had initially hoped to send our funds through a reputable organization like the Red Cross; however, we later decided that the funds should be delivered personally, to make our efforts more realistic.

After a few trips, our experimental fundraising event transformed into a complete government-approved charity organization called ‘Beacon of Hope for Afghan Children Society’ (BOHFAC) which I am one of the founding members of. Amidst the struggles and success, our society now includes students and adults with dynamic full-time careers who have become an essential part
of our society.

Despite our demanding lifestyles, we set aside a portion of our lives to dedicate to the organization. Since its conception, the organization’s hardworking team members have experienced life-altering accomplishments. To date, we have raised approximately $18,000 Canadian dollars after cost.

In 2008, the society expanded its programs to include: continuous pharmaceutical donation to the Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital in Kabul; school supplies and shoes and clothing donation to two schools in the outskirts of Kabul; and financial support for five families to send their children to school instead of becoming child laborers.

BOHFAC has very ambitious missions, goals and objectives that can be viewed in detail at our website: www.beaconofhopesociety.org. Our society will be hosting a fundraising dinner event on June 4th and we would love to see more members of the Trinity Western community at our event this year. More details can be found on our website.

The realization of my dreams leads me to encourage others who hope to aid those in need: there is nothing that cannot be conquered, all one needs is determination.

In a recent instalment of the I & I section of Mars’ Hill (Issue 9, Feburay 17, 2010), Kendall Grant wrote a piece on the “purpose of liberal education”, but he really missed the mark as far as I am concerned. Grant first asserts that the purpose of the university in our modern culture is to prepare us for a career, and promises to give “several reasons for choosing a liberal arts education over a career-focused one.” However, he goes on to say that the benefit of a liberal education is to make us more competitive in the career market; he says those who are educated in the liberal arts are “a cut above the rest,” because they have diverse skills that “are helpful in an array of careers.” Is this really the purpose of the liberal arts? To make us more competitive in the career market? If that is the case, I don’t know why Grant would argue that a liberal arts school is at all different from its counterparts, the purpose of both according to Grant, is to prepare us for careers; he just thinks a liberal education does it better.

I do believe in the superiority of a liberal arts education, but not because of its vocational ends. And I should know, as an art and humanities major, I will graduate with two of the least employable majors there are. But, I hope to have a deeper understanding of myself and the world. The real purpose of education, historically, strives for this end.

The liberal arts were first defined in monastic schools, and were re-shaped during the Italian Renaissance. In the early 15th century Vergerius defined the liberal studies as those “by which we attain and practice virtue and wisdom; that education which calls forth, trains and develops those highest gifts of body and of mind which ennoble men.” The purpose of education is to expand one’s awareness of the world, and to hone one’s sensitivity towards it by teaching right response to it; that is, virtue. The goal of liberal arts education is not vocational, but is rather the formation of values and attitudes that cultivate one’s humanity. A career, as the purpose of education, looks pallid and frail compared to goals such as these. I wouldn’t go so far as to say this is what education actually looks like at Trinity Western, but an article entitled “the purpose of liberal education” should make a better case for its relevance, or at least its potential.

-Dylan De Jong

The “environment” is a hot topic today. Most people, whether Christian or not, agree that the environment is suffering and that we are not looking after it as we should. We urge citizens, corporations and governments to treat the environment with more care and respect.

As Christians, we generally use the term “environment” to describe our world because that is the common terminology, but perhaps we do not realize that the very word we use is central to the problem.

The environment is often defined in science textbooks as the sum of all living and non-living elements around us. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the environment is everything that surrounds us, including all conditions that influence us.

This suggests that the earth is a habitat in which we carry out human existence. While it may seem obvious that humans are a part of the environment, the word itself does not conjure an image of humans and animals interconnected with the earth. In using the word “environment,” we (perhaps without realizing it) perpetuate the idea that humans and the earth are two separate entities. “Environment” is a word of abstraction. Our abstraction from the earth is precisely the reason why we can destroy without batting an eye.

Describing the world as the “environment” is not only cold and abstract, but more importantly, it leaves out the Creator. As followers of Christ, we see the world through a different lens. We believe that the world didn’t come together through a series of random events, but was lovingly hand-crafted by God; therefore, the earth is a work of art. Every leaf and lizard, fern and fish was placed in perfect balance with the rest of creation. While it seems obvious, we still have not grasped that our relationship with the Creator should completely change how we treat creation.

It’s not that the word “environment” is wrong, however one might pose this question: does it do justice to the splendour of the earth as created by God? I truly believe that if we start using the word “creation” instead of “environment,” we would begin to change how we view and treat the earth. Speaking of the “creation” would not only remind us of the reasons to care for our world, but would give credit where due: to the One who formed the earth from nothing.

My roommate is an artist. I enjoy her paintings for their colour, beauty and intricate detail. Would I ever take a painting of hers and walk all over it? No. Not only would I no longer get to enjoy the art (or would anyone after me), but I would greatly insult the artist, as if I were saying: “your creation means nothing to me.” Knowing the creator of the art causes me to automatically care for and respect her paintings, her creations.

Our actions are imbedded in our worldview. We know the Creator. We know we are created beings designed to live in community with the rest of creation. Instead of thinking of the “environment” and the earth as something separate from us, let’s open our eyes to the wonder of “creation.” I urge you to reflect on the many reasons we have to treat creation with more care and respect. Let your relationship with the Creator cause you to love all He
has created.