Environmental Stewardship: A Soul-Searching Journey

Br. Francis Verye – Province of West Africa – Ghana

“When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope,” said Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Over the past decades, the airwaves have been filled with the song of environmental sustainability and its variants. Humanity has a gift for turning severe issues into clinches through mindless repetition. Sometimes one has the impression that the louder the sound, the less audible the message becomes.

Our world is an intricate tapestry of interconnectedness, where everything is interdependent. Our actions, no matter how small, can profoundly impact the delicate balance of nature. As Pope Francis points out in his encyclical Laudato Si, we are not just caretakers of the earth but also stewards of all creation.

Environmental stewardship is a call to action, a responsibility we all share to protect and preserve the environment. It is not just about conserving natural resources or reducing waste, but it is a more profound commitment to the interconnectedness of all things.

As stewards, we are called to cultivate a sense of awe and wonder for the natural world, recognizing its inherent beauty and value. We must also acknowledge the interconnectedness of all things, understanding that our actions have far-reaching consequences.

In his encyclical, Pope Francis reminds us that environmental stewardship is not just an ethical obligation but also a spiritual responsibility. He writes, “The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes bringing the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change.”

Environmental stewardship is a soul-searching journey that requires us to examine our values and prior question the assumptions underpinning underpin our way of life. It is a call to humility, recognizing that we are not masters of the earth but rather its caretakers.

As we embark on this journey of environmental stewardship, we are reminded of the words of St. Francis of Assisi, who saw all of creation as a gift from God and lived in harmony with nature. He recognized that everything was interconnected and that we were all part of a larger whole.

Ultimately, environmental stewardship is about preserving the planet for future generations and creating a more just and equitable world. It is a call to action, to live our lives with integrity and purpose, and to recognize that we are all part of a larger community of life.

Let me conclude this short article with a poem entitled; “The Call of Stewardship.” It echoes the message of Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si, poetically and concisely. The verse emphasizes the interconnectedness of all things and our responsibility to care for the earth and all creation.

The poem also highlights the importance of living with integrity and purpose, recognizing that our actions have far-reaching consequences. It encourages us to walk humbly and approach our role as stewards with awe and wonder.

The poem’s final stanza reinforces that environmental stewardship is not just about preserving the planet for future generations. Still, it is also about creating a more just and equitable world. It reminds us that we are all part of a larger community of life and must do our part to ensure that all creation is treated with tremendous respect.

Poem: The Call of Stewardship

We are stewards of the earth,
Called to tend and care,
To nurture all creation,
And the gifts that we share.

The air that we breathe,
The water that we drink,
The soil that sustains us,
Are all part of the link.

We must heed the call,
To protect and preserve,
To live with integrity
And to never swerve.

For the earth is a gift,
From the Creator above,
And we are called to be stewards,
In a world that we love.

Let us walk with humility,
And with hearts that are pure,
For we are all part of creation,
And we must do our part to ensure,

That the world that we leave,
Is a world that is just,
Where all of creation,
Is treated with trust.

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There is so much at stake in the environmental discourse. Global peace depends on it. As Wangari Maathai once said, “When we plant trees, we plant the seed of peace and hope.”