Subduing the earth by advancing technology

God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28

We are supposed to subdue the earth, to ‘tame’ it and harness it. This means we are mandated to be both hard working and creative in our environment. One way we do this is through advancement in technology and new ways of relating to our environment. This means filling the earth and subduing are two different things. To subdue the earth, we do not only fill space, but we conquer, we harness, we manage and use wisely. This is a gradual process where each generation uses their skills and handed down knowledge to harness the environment. This also means each generation also hands down the resources and skills so that the next generation can (better) subdue the earth. After all, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children” (Prov. 13:22). Even if it is the skills to build upon and take it ever forward.

In this sense, God has sanctioned the scientific and developmental use of the earth and its resources. To properly subdue the earth we cannot ignore schooling, technology and environmentally considerate lifestyles. We must aim to leave our children better off than we are, and research and technology is one way.

One advance in Zambia is the use of conservation farming which involves varied techniques for minimum tillage and water use for maximum output and reduced erosion. When we knew no better we could not be accountable for the bad farming practices, but with such knowledge available, how can we be innocent of practices that yield meager harvests and finally render the land unfertile? We cannot be held accountable on the same level as past generations, when we have access to so much knowledge?

We can apply this in all areas of human endeavor. Are we as efficient in running our businesses, using electricity, managing the savannah eco-system, etc? DO we subdue the earth, or do we say “there is a lion in the street”? And sit back, waiting for someone else to do it?More than that; we need to stop frowning on research. So whether it is market and product research, or medical and mechanical, we need to do our part as a nation. We need to value the investments that will not see returns for years to come. We must be able to give the next generation something new, and not hand them the talent we buried, in fear of a perceived harsh task master.