For every resource that we enjoy also comes responsibility. It is our moral responsibility to preserve, share, and care for our common home to obey the words of Christ. In the book of Genesis, God specifically commanded humankind to take care of both the living and the non-living creation. This command is not just a form of worship and reverence for Him but this responsibility is for our common good and humankind’s survival.
Human pressure on nature has soared since the 1970s. The selfish desires of the capitalist industry and the greed for possession destroy our environment is taking its toll on the ecosystem and on humankind. Mangrove deforestation, making the coastal areas susceptible to erosion, leaves people living in coastal communities with no homes; burning fossil fuel suffocates people with deadly pollutants; and man-aggravated disasters such as severe typhoons, extreme rise in global temperature, loss of habitat and species, rising sea level, and wildfires agonizes and kills millions of species annually; among others.
All of the creations around us are part of our ecosystem, so are we. The ecosystem provides natural services for humans and all other species that are essential to our health, quality of life, and survival. Yet, we still abuse it instead of nurturing it. We forgot the notion that we are only a part and not the whole - other organisms exist too and these are essential for equilibrium in the ecosystem. So as much as we take care of our bodies, to take care of the environment surrounding us - the soil, water, animals, plants, and ecosystems - is as important for our health and wellbeing. After all, if not for these resources provided by the Lord, then the human population has been wiped out long years ago. To share, preserve, and to care for the Earth is not for the mere fact the we benefit from it, it is also to look at the bigger picture on what would be the living conditions of the succeeding generations. Another, to preserve Earth is to show reverence for God. We are not the owners of these creations, rather, the Creator has commanded us to be stewards to nourish these creations.
There is just one planet we inhabit and if the resources here become scarce or extinct, we have no second planet we can evacuate in. Our planet Earth is the be-all and end-all of every creations’ existence so we must do our part in taking care of it. There are a number of ways we can help the environment. We can promote advocacies that uphold the ecological and biological conservation by using social media as our platform. To inform and educate the digital citizens of contemporary environmental and other issues will motivate others to take action too. Another way is to live a sustainable life and encourage others to do so, we can start by conserving water; supporting local and organic foods; use of sustainable materials such as metal straw, tote bags, and water bottle; and use of sustainable transport. Individual actions yield to collective action, just like how a beautiful, intricate design of fabric is made of interwoven threads. As we embrace our responsibility to care for God’s creations, and we take action, then we will be able to live in mutual and optimal conditions.
