Now will I recall God’s works; what I have seen, I will describe. At God’s word were his works brought into being; they do his will as he has ordained for them. As the rising sun is clear to all, so the glory of the Lord fills all his works. How beautiful are all his works! Even to the spark and fleeting vision! The universe lives and abides forever; to meet each need, each creature is preserved. All of them differ, one from another, yet none of them has he made in vain. For each in turn, as it comes, is good; can one ever see enough of their splendor. (Sirach 42:15-16, 23-25)
April 22 is Earth Day. On this day, there will be a lot of focus on the environment and what needs to be done to take care of it. For many people, this day will be all about recycling, electric cars and maybe planting some trees. But for people of faith, Earth Day also takes on a moral dimension.
This was brought to light last year when Pope Francis issued his encyclical letter on the environment: “On Care for Our Common Home.” This letter was a reminder to us the world around us was created by God and it was created for a purpose. And as we are told in the Book of Genesis, all that God created is good. Our taking care of the environment is a moral issue, because what we do or don’t do has a direct bearing on the lives of people. If we are to care for one another, as our faith tells us to do, then it becomes important that we take care of the planet we live on.
Pope Francis addresses a number of issues people of faith need to be concerned about. One is pollution and climate change. He calls the climate a common good belonging to all and meant for all. It should be obvious how polluting our air, land and water would be harmful to people. This issue hits home when we see the brown fields right here in the city of Indianapolis. The people who have to live near these polluted lands experience a number of difficulties that make ordinary living a struggle.
Another issue mentioned is that of water. Going beyond the subject of pollution, the need for usable water is a global issue. Societies cannot thrive if they don’t have access to usable water, and where water is scarce, there is a greater possibility for that society to break apart and even descend into violence. The loss of forests and woodlands is also mentioned as a factor to be aware of. This leads to a loss of species, which then leads to a loss of resources for food, medicine and other uses.
The Book of Genesis presents us with a picture that, in the beginning, all creation lived in harmony. That harmony was broken when human pride got in the way. When we look at the needs of our environment today, we can see where human pride, greed, denial and fear continue to destroy our ability to live in harmony with God’s creation. If we can overcome these sins, we can rediscover that harmony.
Fr. Kenneth Taylor is pastor of Holy Angels Catholic Church and St. Rita Catholic Church. He can be reached at fatherkt@mailhaven.com.
