Chaplain's Reflections

God help us to Change

"Species extinction rates 'Accelerating';

Current global response insufficient;

'Transformative changes' needed to restore and protect nature;

1,000,000 species threatened with extinction"

This was the ominous warning from the UN Intergovernmental Science Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystems, the summary of which was released to the world's media this month. A prophetic voice, calling for a change in our current policies and practices while there is still time. Will we heed its recommendations and make the transformative changes needed to restore and protect nature?

Caring for God's gift of creation is a key tenet of Christianity, along with loving one's neighbour and holding all life to be sacred. If we take these precepts seriously, we should be preparing to change the way we live - to reduce our consumption and waste of resources, to live more sustainably and to treasure the rich diversity of species entrusted to us for future generations.

Michael Leunig's prayer seems fitting:

God help us to change.

To change ourselves and to change the world.

To know the need for it. To feel the joy of it.

To undertake the journey without understanding the destination.

The art of gentle revolution.

Amen