Future of the Planet

Aug 21, 2024
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Future of the Planet 

Theology and Culture

To Whom Does the Planet Belong?

I am writing a sermon this week about the image of God, Imago Dei and the power that God imparts upon humanity. Going through God’s intentions for humanity in Genesis 1 we see God blesses humanity with dominion and subjugation of the planet. A narrative focused on displaying humanity’s prominence in the earthy order. We are the climax, the pinnacle of humanity and God gives us the right to take rulership and put the plants, animals, and world into our hand. 

God places the dominion of this world not in Satan’s hands, not in the son’s hands, but places it in ours. Satan attempts to usurp this from us, in a rebellion against God, and now we live in a world where there is a balance of power, God redeeming the world, humanity ruling it, and Satan bringing death and destruction. 

I want to start here because I want us to start correctly. Too often we can focus on wrong implications from scripture, rather than the key direction, that we are responsible for our world. We are a part, a factor, important and essential, but we are a part of our world. In the context of Aboriginal people, their songlines, their traditions, they are the country just as much as they are distinct from it. That idea is essential for how we think of our future.

Our Human Impact

It is no secret that humanity has affected our environment. During 2020 the worldwide lockdowns brought a change to the canals of Venice with dolphins returning for a period,1 air quality improving, and the overall benefit of humanity’s lack of consumption was in environmental restoration.  

This isn’t the first time that our species has affected the environment. The destruction of Genghis Khan has been linked to a global cooling incident2 that took place after the 13th century.3 Humanity affects our environment because we are a part of the environment, not distinct from it. 

Naturally there are those who see humanity’s damage to the planet as disheartening. Massive fires, unseasonal floods, toxic spills, and large islands of plastic.4 Our climate has changed due to human interaction, our planet is warming due to human activity and that is not changing.5  

With the knowledge that the world is never going to be what it was, that housing and the cost of living are only just increasing, it’s completely reasonable to despair. In this context, we really have to ask ourselves, does the planet even have a future that we can lend our voices to?

Kingdom of God

Yes. The answer is yes. This planet has a future. One where children live, grow up, have families, and die. This planet has a future, we have a future, but that future is not one that is without God and God’s kingdom. When Jesus speaks about God’s kingdom in the gospels, it strikes me that he was not intending it to be in an apocalyptic sense. Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God as a heavenly place and the actionable plan for this world. One that puts us in the right relationship with each other, with the creator, and with the planet itself. Jesus describes the future for Israel in terms of the temporal kingdom of God as one we should aspire to, even if we won’t reach its fullness. 

It’s a bit kitsch to say that Jesus is the way we secure our future on this planet, honestly. It’s not very refined and it’s too simple. But following Jesus because his words are for us now, and not for a “get into heaven game plan”, are key.

The way to change the world from one focused on consumption, on wealth, and on pride is to really believe that Jesus came to bring this present world into the saving light of grace.

Not Perfect Right Now

This is not going to stop the plastic islands in the pacific, right now. It’s not going to stop the horrific mining of cobalt in Africa, right now or the parasitic draw of oil out of the Middle East. It’s not going to stop that, right now. 

It gives us a future where we can see the can see everyone fed, medicated and cared for. Where we are the very good blessing. There is a future for this planet, but unless you have the phone number of the 1%, maybe just loving our neighbours is what we need to do. The planet is in God’s hands, but he has given us a job to do, love the Lord and love our neighbours. 

Nothing is going to be perfect right now. The world is not neat and tidy. This planet is living through the power of God, but still suffers due to the effects of humanity. We aren’t great and powerful, but we can still help our neighbours and shape small sections of the world for both their good, the land’s good, and God’s will.

[1] Venice canals are clear enough to see fish as coronavirus halts tourism in the city

[2] Genghis Khan did it, but Black Plague couldn’t

[3] Destruction under the Mongol Empire

[4] Great Pacific Garbage Patch

[5] Scientific Consensus


Liam Conway is Associate Pastor at Riverlands, Longford.He was born and raised in Hobart, graduated from UTas with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology. He is now the associate Pastor of Riverlands community church and is studying his Master of Divinity.

Future of the Planet 

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