“[The] care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it, and to foster its renewal, is our only legitimate hope.” ―Wendell Berry, The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays

The words economics and stewardship are both derived from the same Greek word oikonomia (oiko means house and nomos means management of). That is, we are managers of the “household of earth.” The Christian steward understands that all of us are economists in the sense that we are all managers of the household of earth. “When a man becomes a Christian, he becomes industrious, trustworthy and prosperous. Now, if that man when he gets all he can and saves all he can, does not give all he can, I have more hope for Judas Iscariot than for that man!” (John Wesley, circa 1760).

Christians realize that we cannot live in greed and carelessness over the consumption of food, energy, and other resources without adversely affecting our neighbor and the other creatures. Because of the ecological and economic interconnectedness that exists around the world, the demands of one person’s lifestyle can impact the lives of many others.

“The master of the garden is the one who waters it, trims the branches, plants the seeds, and pulls the weeds. If you merely stroll through the garden, you are but an acolyte.” ― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration