When Jesus was asked what should come first in our lives, he replied that the greatest commandment is to love God with our whole selves. One way to show our love for God is to love what he has made, and this is our focus during the current Creationtide season.
We are frequently reminded of how, as a human race, we are not doing very well in fulfilling this calling, but there is some good news to celebrate.
It has recently been reported that plastic bags on UK beaches are down by 80%.
Plastic pollution in our oceans is a major environmental challenge, but scientists have discovered another type of marine fungus (there are three others) that can breakdown plastic waste.
Spain has announced its first ever marine National Park. And there is some good news from Scotland where they are celebrating the birth of kittens only a year after wildcats were reintroduced to the wild in 2023. And London is going to see the return of white storks thanks to another positive project.
Years after it disappeared, a rare butterfly is being reintroduced in Wales. We are also told that the River Mersey, troubled by years of pollution, is experiencing a revival.
It is reported that 30% of the world’s electricity now comes from renewables. Thanks to conservation efforts the island of Lundy is witnessing increasing numbers of nesting seabirds. Southern African elephant populations have stabilised. Once on the edge of extinction, Californian sea otters have made a comeback.
There is good news, and I’d encourage you to explore ‘The Earthshot Prize’ where you’ll find inspiring stories of creative people developing solutions to the problems we face: earthshotprize.org
Prince William, the Founder and President says this, “The Earth is at a tipping point. We face a stark choice: either we continue as we are and irreparably damage our planet, or we remember our unique power as humans and our continual ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve. People can achieve great things. The next ten years present us with one of our greatest tests – a decade of action to repair the Earth.”
We want to grow in our love for God, so let’s love what God has made, remembering that ‘The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.’ Psalm 24.1
With best wishes,
Revd Stephen