Adapted from Into the Amazon: The Mystery of the Plants of the Amazon
We live in an impaired universe. Our once perfect world, groans with the consequences of man’s sin. We now live with structural imperfections, aging bodies, disease, and death. But one of the mercies of our Creator is that he provides plants and trees which help to sustain life on this planet, and some of which possess properties that actually help men to mitigate the effects of the curse.
Life-promoting, health-reinforcing plants show the love of Jesus Christ and his common grace on the nations. For more than a thousand years, unconverted tribesman, have been the recipients of God’s common grace, benefitting from the medicinal properties of the trees and plants for the rainforest. They have discovered hundreds of valid and helpful remedies from the forest that range from natural analgesics to natural bug repellants.
Keep in mind, that in some cases, the analysis of the tribesmen has in fact been superstitious and unhelpful. Certainly, there are also ample examples of the abuse of natural substances found in the jungle for mind-distorting, ungodly, shamanistic ceremonies. Also, we stand in opposition to the tendency of some within the modern environmental movement to elevate all-things tribal—-as if “primitivism” is a virtue, and jungle experimentation is the only or even the best source of answers.
On the other hand, Western science is already validating many of the medicinal conclusions of the Amazonians. The indigenous have imperfectly, but nonetheless aggressively done what modern western scientists have largely failed to do until recently—namely, through observation, experimentation and investigation, they have begun to unlock some of the mysteries of the Amazonian plant kingdom.
What appears indisputable is that fact that found within the chemical makeup of the trees and plants of Amazonia is a pharmacy of potential remedies and health promoting substances designed by God for the benefit of man.
The dominion mandate calls man to steward the earth—to subjugate it gratefully, thoughtfully and wisely for the glory of God and the utility of man.God has given the plant kingdom to man so that he will exercise dominion over it (Psalm 8:6). This requires investigation, analysis, observation and testing. It is now up to the Christians of this generation to act as men and women of dominion, by unlocking the mysteries of the life-promoting plant kingdom of the Amazon.
In doing this, we can better know the mind of our God in providing good things for His children, and we can do what the Bible directs in the 104th Psalm—-to use the “herb for the service of man.”
If you have not yet joined the Into the Amazon expedition, do so at www.intotheamazon.org