The Christian Post on rhino poaching & species endangerment

The callous poaching of rhinoceroses in South Africa, where 3/4 of the world's rhinos live, has thankfully received mainstream attention in the news of late.  See for instance "Spike in Rhino Poaching Threatens Survival of Species" at MSNBC.com which points out that "South Africans brought the white rhino back from the brink of extinction" going into the 20th centuty, but "the recent spike in poaching has South Africans worried that all of their hard work to save the rhino will be reversed."  The Rock Center video report attached to the article also gives a glimpse of the very personal toll which the poaching is taking on those who work so diligently to protect the rhinos.

I'm especially grateful to Stoyan Zaimov of The Christian Post for writing a faith-informed response to the ongoing tragedy, both of rhino poaching and species endangerment in general.  Stoyan put together a great article in "Christians Will Be Judged for Treatment of God's Creation, Critics Warn," and was kind enough to seek out my input on behalf of not one sparrow as well as that of friends Stephen Webb and Tom Rowley of A Rocha USA, who is quoted as saying we should care because God does:

He created it all and called it all very good, Christ created all through Him, by Him, for Him, and not just in terms of creation in the abstract, or the species scale, but even down to the individual animal.  In Matthew 10, not a single sparrow falls without the Father knowing about it.

I would personally have introduced the article with a different title, which might be a hindrance to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are just beginning to explore species endangerment and other concerns which God's creatures face.  We each have spiritual and ethical blind spots in our lives which we will be held accountable for, and thank God He is patient and long-suffering with each of us in so many respects.  But Stephen Webb does frame the idea of God's judgment for how we treat His creatures in more helpful context at the end of the piece. 

Once again, I'm deeply grateful to Stoyan and The Christian Post for pointing myself and other Christians to a subject which, he rightly acknowledges, doesn't usually receive much attention in our community of faith.

(photo of white rhino resting credit Cobus Olivier/123rf.com)