Humanity’s Role in Creation
Rabbi Lawrence Troster, the Rabbinic Advisor for Hazon, the largest
Jewish environmental organization in the American Jewish Community, and
Rabbinic Scholar-in-Residence for GreenFaith, the interfaith
environmental coalition in New Jersey, explains the four different
models in his view exist in the Hebrew Bible about the human
relationship to Creation. These are:
- The Caretaker: where humans are viewed as stewards of Creation on
behalf of God.
- The Farmer: where humans work and serve the land as the source of
all humanity's life-giving sustenance.
- The Citizen: where humans are considered part of a Creation
community in which they are
"citizens and not conquerors."
- The Creature: where humans have neither primacy nor even a special
place in God's eyes.
To read the article please search online for
Four Biblical Voices on our Relationship
to Creation
I think these four models explaining our role in God’s Creation
highlight the sacredness and privilege of being stewards of it. Sadly,
we have become instead tyrants and victimizers as it shows in our
relationship to other humans and God’s animals. I truly believe there is
still hope for humanity if we realize soon that a path of compassion and
love is conducive to healing and reconciliation. Only then we can call
ourselves good stewards of God’s Creation.
Your question and comments are welcome