There are many forms of building; structures of Earth, stone, steel, glass, brick, wood and other physical materials which come easiest to mind. These forms of building are important for the reason that they
provide the tone of our security and shelter, and lend a sense of community identity to the places on Earth that we call home. Physical structures also lend a sense of continuity and legacy from one generation
to the next. One could think of physical buildings as part, though only part, of the frame of the picture of our lives.
Another form of building is creating lasting relationships and contiguous guidance for how one may live a successful and fulfilling life. These types of structures throughout history have often been embedded in
the structure of our religious doctrines, and in family customs passed from one generation to the next. In times before modern means of traveling great distances at speed, there also was a family clan structure
present in most cultures that helped reinforce these belief systems and customs. Not only did they provide this function, but clan systems also provided and extended support network for those able and willing
to fit into their accepted position within the clan.
Sadly, in the modern world, such social structures are often broken down by the need to move far from family and place of origin in order to find gainful employment. This often thrusts young families into short
term isolation from social bonds, and can happen several times in the course of living a modern life. To some extent, churches and co-workers can help with this, yet I have a hard time believing that this is a
truly effective replacement for being in proximity to numerous blood relatives. There is an added impetus to support those around you if they are family; helping your gene pool survive in a world that often can
challenge that need. Admittedly, having family members dispersed to some extent around the globe also serves this purpose, in the sense that large scale catastrophes such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and other
natural disasters can not wipe out every relative one has.
How best to find a balance between these two needs? Perhaps dispersed clusters of family units might be more appropriate than the utter dispersion of the family clans we currently live with. How to
accomplish this in the face of modern globalization of employment is a unique challenge, but one worth studying and addressing. One can point to the severe shortage of inexpensive but safe day care for
children in the face of both parents needing to work as an example of an issue that could be moderated by a good solution to this problem. Certainly social structures need to be better adapted than they
currently seem to be in the modern world. Consider such structures the canvass upon which we paint the brush strokes of fully realized lives.
Another form of building is building a sustainable physical environment that supports the art of life. Without such knowledge and structures being built, human life will eventually fade away from the Earth. With
this point clearly understood, it makes perfect sense why God would task mankind with caring for the Earth before any other duty or directive is given. Quite simply, it is up to us all to keep his creation in a
state capable of supporting the gift of life that was given to all creatures, to the very best of our ability.
The part that is best, however, is that we have also been given full responsibility and creative control of the methods we choose to fulfill that imperative. If we can make the things and technological advances
we achieve work in harmony with nature rather than trying to override nature, we stand to gain greatly in efficiency and workability. It actually is less work to make our lives and technologies operate in
concert with natural systems than to try to better or replace them. Working with an eye to enhancing natural systems should be a goal Earth Stewards strive for and a critical understanding Earth Stewards
should try to share and disseminate to as great an extent as possible.
Let us become once again symbiotic with the Earth rather than a parasite upon her beautiful blue sphere, in peace and harmony and in perfect ways and perfect time.
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