Are we faithfully saving the earth?

sherry — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:57:15 +0000

At a Sunday church service earlier this year, a group of young girls stood in front of the congregation and held up colorful hand-drawn signs prompting recycling. They talked about the importance of protecting the environment, stopping littering and taking care of the animals. We have to save our world – that was their message.

The GIGO (Got It Going On) girls, ages 8 to 12, set up a bin to collect plastic bottles and other small recyclables at the church office. They wanted to do their part to help preserve the earth that God gave us to live on. They know that we need to be faithful stewards of the land, and so do I, even though I don’t always do what I should. But I’m getting better.

Photo credit: Stonehouse Photographic

I was reminded of the girls’ efforts this week when I heard a radio report about leaders from nine major religions – from Christians, Jews, Muslims, Baha’is, Sikhs and others – coming together at Windsor Castle in Britain. A choir from the New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore as well as other musicians offered musical welcomes to the broad array of leaders said to represent 85 percent of the world’s population.

Britain’s Prince Philip, who heads the Alliance of Religions and Conservation, and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon led the summit, which was called “Many Heavens, One Earth: Faith Commitments for a Living Planet.” This meeting precedes a conference on climate change with world governmental leaders next month in Copenhagen.

The faith leaders came to show their commitment to climate change and to urge more commitment from their millions of congregants to protect our planet from the stresses of human havoc. Respect for the earth does no equal worship of it, some Christians, Jewish and Muslim groups are learning as they join in tackling global warming.

“It’s a pivotal moment for our world,” said Ban Ki-moon as he noted the significant role that the world’s religions can play.

Photo credit: Stonehouse Photographic

I agree. Faith groups should be in the forefront of doing everything we can to protect the earth. The Bible tells us that the earth is the Lord and the fullness there of … and we should be the faithful keepers of what is God’s good earth. I don’t understand everything there is about climate change or global warming, but I see on my walks the damage that our abundant waste – - bottles, litter, tossed-away clothes, non-biodegradable paper, you name it – does to the environment.

I’ve learned the benefit of turning off lights when I’m not in a room and keeping the heat low and wearing sweaters in the house. I recycle old newspapers, mail and plastics. I stopped using paper towels for a while and still plan to use cloths napkins more often. I am still trying to figure out how I can reuse the lint from my clothes dryer to make art pieces.

According to The World.org’s radio report, “Millions of Korans will also be published on sustainably sourced paper. Meanwhile Jews from America and Israel pledge to try to cut meat consumption among their communities in half by 2015. Livestock production is a major source of greenhouse gases. And Shintos in Japan and Daoists in China will convert thousands of temples to green energy.”

And at Dayspring Community Church, young girls who will inherit the world we are creating asked us to toss our plastic drink bottles in a recycling bin so they won’t end up in a landfill polluting the land or in the ocean choking the life out of the sea.

What is your church doing? What steps are you taking to help preserve our God-given earth?

Soul Rhythms » One Earth

Are we faithfully saving the earth?