When the editors of The Green Bible asked to include an essay of mine (which originally appeared as a chapter in A Generous Orthodoxy and as an article in Sojourners magazine), I enthusiastically said yes. But I hadn’t yet seen what the finished product would look like. When I got it, I was even more glad to be part of it. A lot of us remember “red-letter” editions of the Bible, which put Jesus’ words in red. This one puts references to God’s creation in green … and the effect is quite impressive. You realize how much of scripture depends on human beings having a real connection to the land, so they can understand the metaphors and imagery drawn from it. You also realize how much biblical writers have to say about our responsibility to care for the land.

I also had the honor of contributing to a beautiful new book produced by the Sierra Club, called Holy Ground: A Gathering of Voices on Caring for Creation. It brings together an amazing assortment of voices — Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, and more — sharing their commitment to God’s creation as an expression of their faith. Either book would make a great Christmas gift for someone you love.

Readers of my books Everything Must Change, The Story We Find Ourselves In, and A Generous Orthodoxy will know about my deep commitment to ecology as a spiritual practice. (Not bad Christmas gifts either …)

Brian McLaren (brianmclaren.net) is a speaker and author, most recently of Everything Must Change and Finding Our Way Again.