The Hebrew faith is the foundation upon which Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are built. Each has layered caveats, conditions, and codicils to the core values of the Hebrew base, but essentially we still agree that “the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” And if God made it, God owns it. And if God owns it and God made it, it is sacred. And if it is sacred, heaven help us if we screw it up.

I harp on the fact that the concept of steward is more than just a caretaker or a trustee, but as a co-creator imbued with the authority and the prerogative to act on behalf of the owner. This level of trust comes with an important expectation: a true steward will return the owner’s goods in better shape, with more value, and with tangible improvement. Stewardship is more than simple management. Stewardship is a creative, generative, and developmental engagement.

The Hebrew concept of tikkun olam literally means “repair of the earth,” but in essence and intent it means a responsibility for all of God’s creation – not just rocks, air, and water, but animals including the most destructive of them all – us human beings. Through the lens of tikkun olam, the 10 Commandments take on a deeper meaning and import. Honoring mom and pop isn’t simply about being nice to the folks, it means we live in such a way that anyone encountering us will think, “Wow, he/she was raised really well! The parents/grandparents must be really proud!” Keeping the (a) Sabbath holy means caring for self and relationship with God in a way that empowers and produces love of neighbor and world. Not taking, not hurting, not envying, not humiliating, not harming are all essential to repairing and improving the world.

Education, employment, protecting the environment, providing just and equitable economic systems, encouraging humane and dignified global relationships – these are tikkun olam. War, bigotry, weaponization, hostility, xenophobia, greed, lust, abuses of power are antithetical to God’s intention for God’s people. That which destroys is an afront to God; that which builds is a tribute and an honor to God.

I remember during the Viet Nam war seeing signs that read “War is to Peace, what (**Intercourse**) is to Virginity.” So many of our human-made solutions to our world’s situations are the opposite of what God intends, at least according to the Hebrew scriptures, the Christian writings, and the Koran. Yet look at how many of our leaders today are spouting blasphemies and engaging in sacrilegious activities and defending them as “Christian?” And what is the “church” doing about it?

I have been on more mission trips than I can count and have often confessed that on two occasions I was actually asked to stop helping and go outside and play with children. I am one of the least handy people on the planet, often doing more harm than good (my motto, “If it ain’t broke, give it to me for a couple minutes then you’ll need to fix it…”) though my intentions are good. I have been on three trips where our work involved demolition and I rocked it! It is SO much easier to knock things down than build them up, to destroy rather than create, to break instead of heal. It is why it is so important to be careful.

I often wonder what motivates people to act as they do. What does violence solve? What is the value of revenge? How do grudges allow us to move forward? What do bigotry, prejudice, racism, and divisiveness contribute to our ability to be kingdom/kin*dom builders? How have we come to define power, corruption, dishonesty, selfishness, contempt, and dehumanization as normal human attributes? Is it that we have forgotten tikkun olam, the bedrock upon which we are allowed to call ourselves children of God?

Who is it that God does not love? What part of creation did God not create? At what point do our responsibilities to God and God’s creation end? In what kosmos are we free to ignore God and simply do whatever the hell we want to? Obviously, there is a LOT to repair. Let us commit to be responsible – together – for the good of all God’s creation, and let us make sure that what we think, say, and do builds, creates, and heals rather than tears down and destroys.