The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. . . .

— Psalm 24:1

In 1983 the ABC television network carried one of the highest-rated TV movies in United States history. More than 100 million people watched the initial broadcast. President Ronald Reagan and his military chiefs were given an advance screening.

It was the movie The Day After—a fictional story about a military conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union that escalates into a full-scale ­nuclear war.

In 1987 The Day After was shown on Soviet TV. I remember watching it as a teenager. It terrified millions of viewers and had a profound impact on attitudes toward nuclear ­weapons.

Today the talk about potential nuclear strikes is back. But much of the fear seems to be gone. Curiously, many people seem more concerned about the dangers of peaceful ­nuclear energy than about the threat of a nuclear conflict.

The Bible teaches that we should not murder. Human life is priceless. The Bible also calls us to care for God’s creation. This world belongs to God, and we are its stewards.

Seeing God’s workmanship fills our hearts with praise and thanksgiving. It also partially reveals God to us and encour­ages us to seek him further. What a terrible sin it would be for humanity to destroy the earth in a nuclear holocaust.

Lord, thank you for this world and the life you give us. Help us to care for and to guard human life and all the rest of your creation. Amen.