Environmental group, Greenpeace, shut down 40 BP petrol stations in London recently. The protest came in the wake of the environmental disaster surrounding the "Deepwater Horizon" oil spill in the gulf of Mexico. It was a move designed to get the oil giant to go "beyond petroleum" - and into more environmentally friendly commercial behaviour.

Such periodic damage to the environment seems to be the price of our lifestyle, gobbling up fuel for cars and aeroplanes - as well as other oil-derived products. Human behaviour on Earth entails a terrible cost for the planet.

Christians believe that God created this awesomely beautiful planet for us to enjoy, and gave us responsibility for it. With polluted air, devastated rainforests and soiled seas we haven't done a good job of it.

But our responsibility means we can't give up our efforts to clean up our act, to be healers of our planet - however big the task seems.

Christians have this encouragement as well: a promise that, one day, God is going to transform the world and renew it. It's a big motivation to know that we're part of the "advance plan" for something amazing that's on its way.

All the damage we have done to the planet will disappear. Tears will be dried, the earth will be revived. It's beautiful now, even though it has been marred. Imagine how breathtaking it will be when the creator unveils Earth 2.0!

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