Christians urged to take practical steps to protect the earth

By Deborah Asantewaah SARFO

World Vision Ghana has urged the Christian community to participate and take practical steps to protect and preserve the environment and the earth as a whole.

According to the Faith and Development Coordinator at World Vision, George Matey Okorley, Christians have in diverse ways contributed to the destruction of the earth and hence must take some critical steps in reclaiming it by putting an end to some actions and adopting new behaviours that preserve and sustain the planet.

He urged Christians to regard God’s creation as sacred. He further advised that, despite economic challenges or personal hardships, they should refrain from actions that pollute the environment in pursuit of a comfortable life.

“Whether you actively participate or remain silent, we have all contributed to the degradation of our environment. It is time to take decisive steps to address the issue and work towards reclaiming it,” he stated.

Mr. Okorley made this known at a one-day media dialogue on environmental sustainability and climate action organised by the Faith and Development Unit of the Christian organisation under the theme “The church and creation: Inspiring environmental responsibility in Ghana”.

The programme aimed to foster media collaboration, raise awareness about creation care and develop innovative public engagement strategies for addressing environmental challenges in the country through information and education.

For his part, a lecturer at the Akrofi–Christaller Institute of Theology, Mission and Culture, Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Yaw Blasu, highlighted some practical ways the church can adopt to care for or protect creation.

Faith and Development Coordinator at World Vision,
George Matey Okorley,

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They include; developing a creation care culture among members, training pastors in creation care at seminary, fusing creation care in biblical studies and prayer services, converting African religious eco-taboos to Christ and advocating for political will to enforce environmental laws.

He emphasised that humans were purposefully created by God to care for creation, just as God himself would. Therefore, environmental protection is mankind’s mandate.

He stressed that being proactive in this responsibility is crucial, adding that failing to do so is an “ecological sin”.

“Most often, we Christians only engage in creation care when a problem or danger has already been reported, and that becomes our reaction. Yet, we have been called to be at the forefront, proactive, so that others will follow us. It is part of our mission,” he said.

Dr. Blasu added that science has proven that earth is the only planet that sustains life. As a result, destroying the earth simply means destroying the home of all mankind.

He further noted that as Christians go all out to evangelise and save lost souls, they must endeavour to encourage fellow citizens to save the earth because “the salvation Jesus Christ brought is not for humans alone but for the entire creation”.

Commenting on the role of the media, Mr. Okorley encouraged journalists to go beyond reporting environmental issues and be partners in disseminating the message of environmental sustainability and climate action as a culture.

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