Mother Earth is Crying: World's Faith Communities and a Call to Compassionate Action for Climate
There is a holistic and world-famous proverb: “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” However, it is saddening and heart wrenching to see how actions of human race have entirely thrown out this saying out of the window. We, as human beings, have failed to take the responsibility for this ecological destruction we are causing. We have proved ourselves to be those selfish and greedy beings who are only concerned about their own needs and never-ending urge to buy more, consume more, and destroy more. My greedy resource consumption is leading to starvation of a lot of people, my urge to buy more and more is stealing the dream of sustainable future from the incoming generations. Am I ready to accept that? Are you ready to accept that? Are we all ready to accept that? Probably yes, but definitely not. Greed culture, unfortunately, has overpowered the green culture! We have turned deaf ears to the cries of Mother Earth, who is alive, breathing and crying for its humankind to awake from deep slumber and help it. When I attended the panel organized by Global Interfaith WASH Alliance in Parliament of the World’s Religions (PoWR) 2021, some beautiful lines stuck with me: “When we breath out, trees, plants breath in; when they breath out, we breath in; this is the symbiotic relationship between nature and humankind.”
You might be wondering, but what has faith and world religions got to do with that? How climate action and cries of mother earth are connected to our faith, our religion, and our religious beliefs? Why does religion care for the global warming, sustainability and ecological well being of the world? Aren’t the global problems a matter for the science and policy, or economics, business, law, and technology? Before you question your knowledge about sustainability and climate change, let me say that this interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary knowledge and understanding is necessary undoubtedly. What I argue is, it’s not sufficient, it’s not sufficient to deal with the massive global crisis we are facing in the face of Earth. I know, I am putting your mind in more trouble and confusion, but we are about to find out what this missing piece of the puzzle is. I say, I argue, I believe that this missing piece is the faith, a faith that religion is not merely manifesting compassion towards other human beings. I argue that this is our religious imperative to care for the environment. Do you know why, why I believe in that? Here is the missing link: caring for environment is showing respect to the creation of Divine presence, God’s creation which should be preserved and not destroyed by His another creation, the humankind. Just like you, I too was initially awestruck, dubious, surprised, and wondering what climate action has to do with my faith and my religion. When I joined the cohort of PoWR, 2021, I was speechless when I first saw and later explored the track of climate action. In one of the sessions on climate action and faith, the speakers shared this beautiful book that pictures the world in faith for Earth: “Faith for Earth- A Call for Action.” Produced through a partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme and the Parliament of the World’s Religions (PoWR) Climate Action, this book transformed my thoughts on sustainability and climate action. How are world traditions and religions connected to the environment? How science, religion and earth are knotted together on a rope that leads to sustainable future, a rope that leads humankind to our crying mother earth so we can wipe her tears? This book had an answer to my every question!
While I was reading this book: “Faith for Earth- A Call for Action,” you know what I found most beautiful and overwhelming for me? Every single faith community, may it be Islam, Christianity or Judaism, every religion preaches compassion for mother nature Earth and instructs its followers to refrain from destroying the nature. Here I present the sayings and verses from different faith communities for you to have a look yourself (these excerpts were collected from different sections of the book on different religions).
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Religion |
Evidence (Verses, Sayings of Religious Leaders) |
Source |
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Islam |
55.5. “The sun and the moon move according to plan.” 55.6. “And the stars and the trees prostrate themselves.” 55.7. “And the sky, He raised; and He set up the balance.” 55.9. “But maintain the weights with justice, and do not violate.” 6.38. “There is no animal on land, nor a bird flying with its wings, but are communities like you.” |
All selections from Quran in English, translated by Talal Itani.
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Christianity |
“Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with colored flowers and herbs.”
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St. Francis of Assisi, “Canticle of the Creatures,” in Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, Vol. 1, pp. 113-114. |
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Judaism |
At the culmination of Creation, the Holy One led the human creature through the Garden of Eden and said, “Enjoy the beauty and glory of the universe. Take heed not to corrupt or destroy My world. For if you corrupt it, there is no one to make it rights after you.” |
Ecclesiastes Rabba 7.13. |
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Buddhism |
“The entire cosmos is a cooperative. The sun, moon, and stars live together as a cooperative. The same is true for humans and animals, trees, and the Earth. When we can realize that the world is a mutual, interdependent, cooperative enterprise— then we can build a noble environment. If our lives are not based on this truth, then we shall perish.” |
Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu, as quoted by Donald K. Swearer, “The Hermeneutics of Buddhist Ecology,” in Buddhism and Ecology: The Interconnection of Dharma and Deeds, p. 29. |
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Sikhism |
“O Nanak, having created the living beings, He cherishes them all. The Creator who created the creation takes care of it as well. He, the Creator who formed the world, cares for it.” |
Guru Nanak, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, p. 1020 and p. 467. www.sikhs.org. |
Based on the evidence shared above, here are four key points of agreements among the World’s religions on our relation to Mother Nature:
- Nature does not exist only to serve human needs and desires; it has value in itself.
- Greed and destructiveness of the natural world are condemned by all; restraint and protection are commended in all religions.
- There is inseparable and strong relationship between the well being of both humans and non-human beings, may those be animals, insects, birds or plants, trees, and oceans.
- Human life depends on the natural world. This dependence should not only be acknowledged and accepted but also appreciated through the gratitude and acts of action if nature is in trouble.
Towards the end of this reflection piece, I would like to quote Imam Saffet Catovic, the Member of ISNA Green Initiative Team who spoke in one of the PoWR sessions.
“Quran, also in Judaism and Christianity, take care of the Earth as it is the mother of all of you. Whatever you do on/with her, she will report, she will cry out, she will mention it. And earth is crying right now!”
It’s a challenge for us now to reset this relationship, wake up, console our mother Earth, and adopt the mantra of sustainable and compassionate living for us, our nature, and our future.
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
— Pope Francis, Laudato Si’(247)
