(Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Corner - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Since the beginning of time, humans have had an inherent connection to the nature that surrounds them. Even modern humans hold innate primal instincts that connect us to the Earth in one way or another. Whether it be a child’s intuition to play with rocks and dirt or throw sticks like spears without instruction or a person’s joy in a hike through the woods, we are hardwired to connect with our world. And in just as many ways, we are bound to protect it.

Much the same, modern humans have found a connection to faith to guide their lives in a way they deem moral and wholesome. According to 2023-24 Pew Research Center data, roughly 64% of adults in both West Virginia and Ohio identified as Christians, with the bulk of the remaining 36% identifying as unaffiliated and a small sampling coming from other religions (mainly Judaism and Islam).

Looking through the Bible’s scripture we see that there are direct references to our connection to nature and, by extension, Man’s duty to protect it. From the very beginning, God commanded that Man was a steward of the Earth, whose duty it was to “work it and take care of it,” (Genesis 2:15). Our quest for stewardship is guided by the idea that the Earth is God’s creation, and thus belongs to God. It is our job to protect God’s creation from the perils of environmental degradation and destruction by our own hand (Psalm 24:1).

Christianity isn’t the only global religion that sees the necessity for environmental stewardship built into its ethos.

The Torah, Judaism’s holy text, emphasizes l’vadah ul’shamrah, “to till and to tend,” as a core tenet of stewardship to the Earth. In the Talmud, Jews expand on the idea of generational stewardship, in part saying, “I found a fruitful world because my ancestors planted it for me. Likewise, I am planting for my children,” (Avot d’Rebbe Natan 31b).

In Islam, stewardship is seen in a similar vein as Christianity and Judaism, but with added clarity around nature’s inherent connections to the signs of God and balance in the world. Of the Quran’s six core principles relating to environmental stewardship, two of them are particularly striking to me. Tawhid (Oneness of God) and Ayat (Signs of God) provide a concise viewpoint of humanity’s connection to nature, highlighting our existence as a single piece of a larger galaxy of God’s creation while also seeing each individual piece as its own sign of the divine.

I find it to be no coincidence that the three most prominent religions in our area all maintain a central tenet of nature’s innate connections to God and how humans must grapple with the existential threats that it – and by extension, we – face in this modern world.

During his first inaugural address, President Abraham Lincoln pleaded with Americans to appeal to the “better angels of our nature.” Little did he know that a few short years after this appeal to faith, America would be torn apart by its own sin, exposing the underbelly of a nation in the grips of a philosophical war from within. While this speech was not about the environment or nature at its core, I believe there is a broader context that we can draw from this idea of our “better angels.” The idea that Americans, and humanity more broadly, must come together to face the realities of our world head-on.

The rapidly evolving changes we are seeing in our environment will impact generations beyond ours if we do not take targeted, intentional actions today. I’m no theologian, but I believe it is our duty to do best by the Earth and our fellow Man. If you don’t believe me, ask God.

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Griffin Bradley is a lifelong Wood County resident, graduate of West Virginia University, and a contributing author for Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action.