Awake to the world around us

Recently my son’s school held an eco-themed week, where the children were encouraged to walk to and from school each day while keeping a record of the nature they spotted on their travels as well as picking up litter. The growing awareness that we are in the midst of the most challenging battle of our times is irrefutable.

Climate change threatens to wreak havoc on our lives and is happening at a rate not seen in the past 10,000 years. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: “Since systematic scientific assessments began in the 1970s, the influence of human activity on the warming of the climate system has evolved from theory to established fact.” 

Yet there is hope. There is always hope. My young sons are living proof, adamant that we must keep planting trees and seeds. This year, the proud planters of a quince tree, an apple tree and many wildflowers, foxgloves and poppies are firm favourites.

Our environment is the rock on which we may build solid foundations for our faith and future, and they are inextricably linked. God affirms the gift of life and our responsibility to the environment in Genesis 9:12: “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come.” And in Job 12:10 it is God’s hand where “the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind” is.

Both verses highlight God’s universal love towards nature and us. We are connected to our environment by an intricate tapestry of choice and circumstance, and it is everyone’s responsibility to protect our planet and thus slow down and reverse its destruction. In the same way that children are innately beautiful and resilient, so too is our world. With the Holy Spirit’s guidance and simple changes and choices, we may transform our futures today. The time for this is now.