Callapidder Days

I tend to not get very political on my blog. Okay, I don’t get political at all. So let me just say up front that in introducing this book giveaway, I have no desire to get into a heated political debate. Nope, not interested.

What I am interested in, however, is good stewardship. And as a Christian, I believe that God wants us to be good stewards of the amazing and beautiful planet He created for us to inhabit. Regardless of our stance on the climate change issue, if we believe God created the earth, we have to deal with how He wants us to function as residents of it.

The trouble is, in the midst of the political muck and mire, it’s hard to know exactly what that means and how we can live it out. Sure, I turn off the lights when I leave a room, I use energy-efficient appliances, I lug my newspapers, magazines, and catalogs to the recycling receptacles down the road. But what more can I do? Should I do? What is my responsibility when it comes to caring for God’s creation?

Waterbrook Press recently offered me two copies of Gardening Eden by Michael Abbaté — one to read and one to give away. Read on to find out more.

Gardening Eden
by Michael Abbaté

What the publisher says:

Before the snake, the apple, and the Ten Commandments, God created a garden, placed humans in it, and told them to take care of it.

“Spiritual environmentalism” did not start out as an oxymoron—it was an invitation. Yet today, many believe God’s original job description for humankind has been replaced by other worthier pursuits. So when did this simple instruction become so controversial? How does one sort through all the mixed messages? Is making the world a healthier place for the next generation really a responsibility—or even possible?

Gardening Eden is a new understanding of how the spiritual dimensions of life can find expression and renewal through caring for our incredible planet. Empowering, simple, and never polemical, Michael Abbaté outlines the Bible’s clear spiritual benefits of caring for creation, exploring new motivations and inspired ideas, and revealing the power of our basic connection to all people and living things through the growing interest in spiritual environmentalism.

Green living is no longer a fad—simple lifestyle solutions are now available to everyone. Gardening Eden shows readers how this shift transforms not only our world, but their very souls as they’re drawn into deeper harmony with the Creator. This book invites them to discover the powerful spiritual satisfaction of heeding the call to save our world.

My thoughts:

Disclaimer: I’ve only read the first two chapters.

I’m hoping that this book offers a rational, thoughtful approach to “going green” that is based on common sense and stewardship, rather than doomsday claims and political agendas. What I’ve read so far encourages me in that hope. The book’s foreword, written by Randy Alcorn — a man I admire — speaks highly of both the author and the book as a whole, so I look forward to continuing.

It’s entirely possible that I won’t agree with everything in Gardening Eden. But nevertheless, I look forward to exploring the topic, and to thinking about my role as God’s child, living in the world God created for us.

Are you curious? If you’d like a chance to win a copy of Gardening Eden, just leave a comment on this post. I’ll draw a winner next Wednesday (April 29) and announce that winner with my regular Thursday book giveaway on the 30th. U.S. and Canadian mailing addresses only please.