Our crime rate and our ecological crisis are different manifestations of the same problem.

Humanity, being in conflict with the Creator, is in conflict with the Creator’s work – nature. Humanity’s rejection of God has rendered nature our rival instead of a faithful servant.

In his human perfection Jesus displayed authority over nature. He rode an unbroken donkey, calmed a storm, made a fig tree wither up, commanded miraculous catches of fish, etc. (Matthew 8:23-27; 17:27; 21:19-21; Luke 5:4-9; 19:30,35; John 21:5-6). He ruled nature by command, not harshness. By this, Christ demonstrated the way in which humanity should have ruled everything on earth (Hebrews 2:8-9).

Humanity’s delegated authority over nature hinged on humanity’s submission to God, the ultimate authority. If humanity had obeyed God, nature would have obeyed humanity. To understand the tragedy, consider the power of a policeman. While he is submitted to his superiors, people obey him. But if he rebelled he would be ejected from the police force and people would then ignore his orders. To make people obey he would have to resort to violence. From that fateful day when Adam severed humanity’s holy link with Creator God, he and his descendants – like the disgraced policeman in our illustration – could only rule by violence. People kill grubs, flies, weeds and so on. Like an abused child, nature writhes in agony at the hands of its sinful overlords. If its oppressors are out of control, little wonder that nature is often out of control.

Although individuals can, through Christ, restore the shattered union with the Lord of creation, God in his loving patience still allows people to reject him and so nature’s woes continue. This will end when Christ returns, abolishes all evil, and renews nature (our own bodies included). Then unhappiness will vanish, along with everyone opposed to Christ’s rule (Romans 8:18-23; 2 Peter 3:9-13).

That anyone could do this seems incredible until we discover the real identity of the person whose arrival on our planet split earth’s calendars in two. Though renowned for his humility, he professed to be humanity’s only hope. His outrageous claims incited thousands. And he backed his words by returning bodily from the dead.

This matter is too vital to let someone else do your thinking. Examine Jesus’ inexplicably perfect life and see if you don’t conclude he is the eternal Son of God through whom and for whom all creation was originally made (Colossians 1:16-17).