Climate change affects the poorest the most, what can you do about it in this 'Season of Creation'?

Anna Temoi lives in Buncoma County in rural Kenya. Just like millions of women around the globe, she used to rely on an indoor stove fire for cooking. As she cooked for her family, smoke would fill the house. “There was black soot hanging all over, sometimes it would fall in food”, she said in a video by the Green Belt Movement.

According to the World Health Organization, the world loses 6.7 million people every year from complications related to air pollution, directly related to inefficient cooking and lighting. On the other hand, the high demand for firewood for cooking spurs deforestation and leaves the soil vulnerable to erosion. This, in turn, worsens climate change.

It’s a vicious cycle which shows that the wellbeing of people and the environment are inextricably linked.

Those in the lowest socio-economic groups are especially impacted by climate change, as they have fewer resources to prepare for and cope with the effects of climate-related hazards. It’s a vicious cycle which shows that the wellbeing of people and the environment are inextricably linked. As the primary caretakers of their families, women are particularly sensitive to climate-driven food insecurity and indoor air pollution.

As Christians recognise their role as stewards of the environment, many have embraced the "Season of Creation" as a time to renew their relationships with our Creator and all creation. The Season of Creation is an ecumenical time of prayer and action for God’s creation. The Christian family celebrates it every year between September 1, the Day of Prayer for Creation, and October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology.

This year’s theme is “let justice and Peace flow”. It echoes the words of the prophet Amos, who cried out: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” But how can you get involved in the Season of Creation? Here are a few suggestions:

1. You can host an ecumenical prayer service. This could also be an opportunity to take up a donation collection to support a particular issue.
2. You can hold your worship service outside. God’s creation eloquently speaks of his goodness and creativity, and it naturally inspires awe in us. Worshipping outdoors can help us to celebrate God as Creator, confess our environmental sins, lament with all that has been lost, and commit to protecting our environment.
3. You can organise a creation walk or pilgrimage. This could be the opportunity to immerse yourselves in the beauty of creation, study ecologically themed Scriptures or pray ecologically themed prayers.
4. Finally, the Season of Creation invites us not only to stand with our sisters and brothers in prayer, but also to care for our common home in practical ways. Many resources and suggestions can be found on the Season of Creation's webiste here. 

The organisation says: “We are called to join the river of justice and peace, to take up climate and ecological justice, and to speak out with and for communities most impacted by climate injustice and the loss of biodiversity.” And we are particularly called to stand with our sisters who are most vulnerable to environmental issues.

You can find out more about the Season of Creation here. You can also buy Naomi Bosch’s book on hope in an environmental crisis Und dennoch pflanze ich einen Garten: Wie wir in der Umweltkrise Samen der Hoffnung säen (in German) here.