Hope, for restoration

"shine out, and let your light restore
earth's own true loveliness once more."
---Charles Coffin

I don't know where you are as you read this today, but here where I live, it it one of the most gorgeous days ever. Blue skies, mild temperatures, sun, breezes, still some green in the trees---just lovely. I believe that God created this world as a beautiful reflection of beautiful character, and humankind, in part, to watch over, protect, and preserve this beauty. Through Christian history, however, plenty of Christians have preferred to emphasize man's 'dominion' over the environment, using up precious resources, overworking the soil, and poisoning the air and water, rather than our 'stewardship' of the environment -- the wise care and best use of the earth and her riches in a way that benefits people without hurting our home. Believing that Christians were not long for this world, but would very soon be swept up to Heaven to live with God, did not cause folks to behave any more carefully with this planet, rather treating it as disposable, with a near-approaching expiration date.
But God created the earth, and delighted in it. Jesus spent time enjoying the gifts of wilderness, field, and sea. And I find immense hope that, in the words of this carol from the 18th century, Christ's light can restore the earth's true loveliness again. There is hope in that loveliness, I think. There is hope in restoration.