Genesis 1:26-28, And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Genesis 4:9 — And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

I’m reading “Between Cross & Resurrection” by Alan E. Lewis. The theme is “What does Holy Saturday mean?” — but it’s a wide-ranging review of the relationship between theology and history. Honestly, it’s a tough read, but it’s full of wonderfully thought-provoking stuff. Today I came across this:

That “masculine,” coercive exercise of on which alienates humanity from nature also fosters the disconnectedness of human beings from each other. It widens the gulf so sacralized in contemporary society, between the public and private, the narcissistic myth that private behavior – or private enterprise – may be pursued to the hilt without reference to its consequences for the human community at large; and it reinforces the major premise of our global economy and ecosystem which presumes that one community may recklessly maximize it’s prosperity and comfort now, at whatever cost in damage and deprivation to locations and societies elsewhere or to human persons yet unborn.

OK, that’s a massive quotation, and it definitely has some “$10 academic” words — but I couldn’t see where to shorten it, and it makes some massively important points that speak more and more to me as I get older.
The core idea is that mankind, individually and collectively, pursues happiness and prosperity, and takes no account of God’s commission to take care of the earth, and to have a care for each other.
So how do you plead? Do you take more of the good things of the earth than you really should? Do you live in a greedy society that consumes more than its fair share of resources? I plead guilty.
That’s easy, isn’t it? Plead guilty, say “I’m sorry ” and throw myself on the mercy of the court. But it doesn’t really solve anything does it? So what will we all do ? If we all took Jesus at His word, would that do it? That’s another easy thing to say. But we’re never going to do it.
The truth is that mankind in general is like the Jews of the Book of Judges. We are repeat offenders, running to God when we’re hurt, and turning away from Him when we’re comfortable.
So am I preaching a gospel of despair then? No. I’m saying that this is, in it’s way, the best good news there is. Man can never look to man to solve these problems. We are driven, inevitably, to turn to God. He will be for mankind, in the end, what He is for some men now — the only answer.
This is the redemption story. God created and ordained. Man sinned. God sacrifices Himself, and redeems. There is no other answer to the problem of our individual and collective selfishness — but no other answer is needed.