Caring for creation starts with talking about it
“The best thing we can do for the climate is to talk about it”
Talking about caring for creation means raising the issue of the ecological crisis and its consequences for all living things. By opening up a dialogue, we give everyone the opportunity to have their say on the matter.
When our ambassadors talk about ecology in church, once people have come to a theological and ecological realisation, they wonder how to take action. They want to do something, but do not know where to start on their own level. This is when a unifying dialogue begins. Ideas emerge. Projects take shape, sometimes in the short term, sometimes in the very long term for those who need to explore the subject in greater depth.
Talking helps to raise awareness and discover different perspectives.
Talking gives rise to ideas and plans.
Talking means sharing and working together.
Raising the issue in churches
The media still give far too little coverage to environmental issues. The print media, particularly at national level, cover this subject more frequently than the broadcast media. Furthermore, the latter tend to focus on ‘hot’ topics such as heatwaves or floods, without addressing their underlying causes.
Among Christians, ecology is not one of the ‘hot’ topics, unlike evangelism, sexual ethics or, depending on the church’s outlook, spiritual gifts. Furthermore, many churches are already busy caring for their neighbours by carrying out good works such as food banks and find it difficult to take on further responsibilities.
Yet the issue of caring for creation is of paramount importance, as it concerns God’s creation, the survival of our neighbours, and the living conditions of all creatures. We believe that God calls his people to care for his creation, out of love for him and for humanity.
Organising a Day for the Care of Creation
Organising a Day for the Care of Creation is an opportunity to reflect, together with the members of your
community, on the role of Christians in preserving all living things, and to remember that the earth and all it contains belong to the Lord (Ps. 24:1).
Throughout the day, you can give glory to God for his Creation through prayers and songs of praise, organise activities for children to teach them that the earth belongs to God, explore the links between faith and ecology, and share biblical teachings.
To help you with this, we are providing a range of resources: Bible-based activities for children, a text-based sermon outline, ideas for organising the day, suggested songs, and more.
