Caring for God’s creation: In relation to the environment

AS the sun rises each day with its beautiful colours in the sky and its environment, it reminds mankind of the beauty and magnificence of (God’s creation) the world we live in. This planet is filled with complex ecosystems, beautiful landscapes and various creatures entrusted in our care. The call to care for God’s creation is not just a moral responsibility for people of faith, but a spiritual mandate which is sacredly connoted and embed 2010).

Common Home calls for an “ecological conversion,” urging people of all faiths to take immediate action. He writes, “We need a conversation that includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.”

What are we doing wrong?

and provide for humans and other creatures on earth. God calls us as His stewards to care for the garden He created, and through the beauty of the natural world, we come to know Him more fully. While the Old Testament provides guidance on how humanity must maintain and tend the environment, the New Testament provides different account on the subject and reveals the consequences of humanity’s actions and inactions towards the environment.

I proffer family farms that will enable environmental sustainability, feed growing urban population and preserve natural resources. Let’s move away from forest destruction to growing food sustainably in urban homes for social, economic and ecological purposes. In meeting the demand for bushmeat, which leads to the destruction of the forests, let’s rear rabbits, grasscutters, and snails, and grow mushrooms. To prevent over ex

The Old Testament and caring for the environment

ded in traditions. The first chapter in the bible introduces man’s duty to stewardship. Genesis 1:26-28 defines man’s creation in the image of God and highlights man’s dominion over the earth, However, there is a misunderstanding of the dominion, where man seems to exploit his environment rather than take responsibility to nurture, sustain and protect it. Psalm 24:1 says the earth is the Lords and everything within it. This verse explains emphatically that we are the caretakers of the environment and not the owners to destroy it.

The environment, encompassing both living and non-living elements, is a crucial aspect of human life. God created all things, including the environment in the beginning of creation, and instructed Adam to “keep and guard” it. Similarly, of the great floods that consumed the world, to Noah and his sons, God gave a similar command “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand” (Genesis 9:1-2). Clearly, God ordering these two men in the way he did shows that he expects mankind to take charge and care for his creation. There are so many benefits of the environment, these include providing resources, assimilation of waste, sustaining life through genetic and biodiversity, and providing aesthetic services. Here we note God’s twin purposes for creation, to reveal God’s character and nature, and to provide for what He has made. Humanity’s use of creation must, therefore, promote the ability of creation to reveal God

Genesis 1:26 and Genesis 1:29 describe God’s creation of humankind and the dominion over various animals and plants. The books of Moses contain environmentally friendly passages, highlighting God’s attitude towards the land and its inhabitants. Leviticus 25 reveals the provisions for cultivated lands, including a Sabbath for the seventh year. Exodus 21:33-34 emphasises protection for animals and plants from human-produced hazards, such as pits and fires. The principle of restitution is also outlined in Exodus 22:6, ensuring that those who cause harm to animals and plants must compensate the owner.

The New Testament and caring for the environment

The New Testament contains three prophetic passages about the earth’s environment before Christ’s return. The first passage, Acts 3:19-21, emphasises the earth’s need for repair, rest, and rehabilitation. Restoration of all things is our core mandate, underscoring the need for repair and rehabilitation of broken systems including social, environmental, economic, and moral. We need to repair the Human Environment Relationships and correct harmful human actions that damage the earth, pointing to responsible steward

In today’s world, the environment faces unprecedented challenges: climate change, deforestation, pollution, and the loss of biodiversity.

ploitation of sea fish, aquaculture for catfish, tilapia in our homes is the best alternative. Government could develop financial schemes (affordable credits) to help family farms as a means of encouragement (ACI et al., 2013).

Old car tyres and used 5kg or 25kg rice bags are seemingly household wastes we find in our ship of natural resources. Caring for the earth is part of Christian obedience and faithful stewardship. The second passage, Romans 8:19-22, describes the creation eagerly waiting for the revelation of God’s children, hoping for liberation from decay and glory. The passage recognises creation as suffering and waiting, reminding us that the environment is not passive but deeply affected by human decisions and actions. The text challenges extractive models of development and promotes stewardship-based practices that restore ecosystems and livelihoods. The third passage, Revelation 11:17-18, explains the Seventh Trumpet and the seven last plagues. The elders in these passages praise God for taking His great power and reigning, urging the time for judgment, reward, and destruction of those who destroy the earth. The verse clearly names those who “destroy the earth,” emphasising that environmental harm carries moral and social consequences.

Environmental challenges and faith

Ofori et al., (2024), in their paper titled an “Ecological study of galamsey activities in Ghana and their physiological toxicity”, proffered that illegal small-scale gold mining in Ghana, known as galamsey, causes severe deforestation, water pollution, and soil degradation, while exposing miners and nearby communities to toxic chemicals such as mercury and cadmium, resulting in widespread health risks and economic instability.

In today’s world, the environment faces unprecedented challenges: climate change, deforestation, pollution, and the loss of biodiversity. These issues are not merely scientific or political but deeply moral and spiritual.

Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical letter Laudato Si’: On Care for Our

The world population is expected to exceed 9 billion by 2050. Meanwhile, the earth is the same, this is even more reason for all the people who depend on it to take care of it so that everything in it will be sustained. Modern agriculture has led to the loss of valuable local tree species and traditional food crops, as forests are cleared for farming and starch-rich staple crops are cultivated, causing a lack of alternative food sources (Nganje, 2014). Pollution, caused by human activities such as overpopulation, burning fossil fuels, mining, and deforestation, is a major environmental concern, causing climate change, soil erosion, poor air quality, and undrinkable water.

A call to reflection and action

What we need to do: Food security and natural resource management

The relationship between natural resource management and food security is complex, with environmental degradation leading to reduced productivity and food availability, and food insecurity causing over-exploitation of limited resources. Urban and peri-urban forests are valuable sources of goods and ecosystem services, and traditional tree planting helps prevent over-exploitation. Urban forest practices in West Africa, such as the planting of fruit-bearing trees and setting up medicinal public parks, are known to improve food security and reduce hunger (Fuwape and Onyekwelu, environment. Let’s grow Kontomire, Amaranthus (Alefu), African eggplant (gboma), spinach etc. in these car tyres and rice bags. Let’s plant fruit trees in our homes to supplement family fruit requirements to make up the 50 per cent fruit and vegetable requirements as prescribed by the Harvard Healthy Plate Model

A call to reflection and action

Behavioural change leads to a return of $13-$15 on every adaptation measure of $1. Here are some habits that will help us take care of the environment if we include them in our daily lives to achieve responsible consumption, because every action counts.

• Plant trees (Shade, fruits, aesthetics etc.), Save water,
• Unplug the electrical devices you are not using and use low-consumption light bulbs.
• Moderate your use of heating and air conditioning.
• Recycle and sort out all the garbage you can.
• Use more sustainable means of transportation.
• Consume local products.
• Apply circular economy principles (car tyres, rice bags etc.).

The writers: Dr Ezekiel Narh Odonkor is a Research Scientist at CSIR-INSTI and Mr Atta Ampofo-Addo, a Senior Librarian from CSIR-INSTI.

Email: ezenarh2001@yahoo.com / ampofo3@gmail.com

BY DR EZEKIEL NARH ODONKOR & ATTA AMPOFO-ADDO

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