Scientists of a wide range of specialities across the entire world agree that climate change is going to exert drastic effects on the world within the next couple of decades. The world as we know it will change and we will enter a new era with new challenges if we don’t take steps to reverse the changes now.
And let’s be clear. We can take action. Too many people, especially Christians, believe that climate change is either a hoax or is an unstoppable change that has nothing to do with mankind’s effect on the planet.
Because Christian leaders have often been the culprits of denying climate change or speaking against climate change activism, it’s important to pay attention to the faith leaders who are repenting on the behalf of the church around the world.
Faith leaders on repenting over climate change
Faith leaders like Reverend Susan Hendershot of Interfaith Power & Light and Reverend Fletcher Harper of GreenFaith have issued statements regarding climate change and the new U.S. administration’s stance.
These leaders applaud President Biden’s decision to rejoin the United States with the Paris Climate Agreement. However, they take it a step further to talk about how being people of faith means lining up our morals with love, justice and care for all of our neighbors around the world.
Rejoining the Paris Agreement is an act of faith and a gesture of repentance to the global community. However, it’s only the beginning. Christian leaders need to continue taking climate change seriously and taking a stance on the issue with the church. Together, we can demand cleaner energy, less carbon emissions, and more sustainable practices and stewardship.
Remember, in the Bible, God blesses mankind with stewardship over earth (Genesis 1:26, Genesis 2:15 and Revelation 11:18). However, many have taken this to mean that mankind is free to do whatever it wants with the world.
Imagine that a king appoints a steward before going on a pilgrimage. During the king’s time away, the steward, believing that he has total free rein, exhausts the king’s coffers, blows through his food stores and abuses his subjects. How will the king react when he returns? He’ll certainly be less than happy with his steward, right?
So, why do we act differently with the world? God gave it to us to take care of, and yet, we abuse it to fulfill our desires, killing other creatures, each other and the planet itself in the process.
As people of faith, let’s do what God would have us do and be stewards of the Earth. Let’s care for the planet, all of its creatures and each other, so we can build a better world for the generations to come.
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