Care of Creation – A Reflection

Reflecting on Our Care for the Environment: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good”. Genesis 1:31. Is God really proud of our care of the environment?

In our pursuit of understanding the relationship between our care for the environment and God’s perspective, it is essential to explore the various dimensions of environmental stewardship and its significance within religious beliefs. I wish us to examine different viewpoints and encourage self-reflection on our environmental responsibility.

The Divine Creation and Human Responsibility:

Genesis 1:31 tells us that God was satisfaction with creation, including the natural world and human beings. As beings created in His image, we human beings possess the capacity for responsible stewardship over the Earth. This implies that we have a moral obligation to care for and protect the environment.

Unfortunately, human actions have often fallen short of this responsibility. We have Polluted, deforestation, habitat destruction, and climate change are just a few examples of the environmental challenges we face. These issues raise questions about our commitment to caring for God’s creation. 

I really ask myself if God is happy with our stewardship or caring for this earth He has given us. Sometimes when I see our cities like in Kinshasa with all those plastic bottles and bags, when I see the coast of Cameroon (Douala), and many places and I imagine the beauty which God saw after creating everything, I ask myself:  if God is still happy with me.

As a religious and in our religious communities, we have to know that our role is to preserve or to restore that beauty which God saw from the first day. Though many are exploiting or some are violating our common home, we have to know our sacred duty, is to emphasize human dominion over the Earth it does not mean  abuse or destroy or violate the earth but to utilize its resources for our well-being and for it protection.

As we might know that many religious teachings advocate for responsible environmental stewardship. For instance, the concept of “creation care” emphasizes nurturing and protecting the Earth. It involves making conscious choices that promote sustainability, conservation, and the well-being of future generations.

Placide Elia Batondobi MHM