It’s not difficult to see that religion and environmentalism can easily go hand-in-hand. Caring for the planet is inherent to a lot of beliefs, whether it’s because a god created the Earth or because it’s viewed as God (or goddess) itself. If you’re someone of faith who also wants to find ways to help the environment, you might want to do so in a way that aligns with your beliefs. You can explore the different ways that your faith might encourage you or even require you to be kind to the planet. But where should you start if you want to connect religion and sustainability?
What Does Your Religion Say About the Environment?
A good first step is to find out what your religion says about the environment and our responsibility for it. Of course, even within a single religion, there isn’t necessarily one line of thought about any given subject. But there are places where you can go for answers. You can look at religious texts, speak to religious leaders, and find official resources that will help you to understand how your faith and religion might be connected to our responsibility to care for the planet. Talk to others about what they think too.
Explore Meaning in Your Faith
Finding out what the “official” thought is on your responsibility to the environment (and how to fulfil it) is helpful. But it’s also important to use your own mind and explore your own thoughts. Looking for meaning in your faith can help you to identify how you personally want to think about the environment and how to help it. If you want help or some questions to prompt you, consider taking a Christian discipleship course online or something similar. It can give you useful resources, encourage you to ask questions and get you talking to other people too.
Organize with Your Faith Groups
If you’re a member of any faith-based group, whether it’s your church congregation or something else, you can organise something to help the environment together. Talk to others in your group about the benefits of caring for the environment and how it connects to your faith. You can come up with many ways to do your part, whether it’s being eco-friendly during Lent or Ramadan, or organizing a community cleanup. Be creative and see what you can do as a group to help save and protect the planet.
Take Interfaith Action
As well as working with your own faith group, you can also extend your reach and work together with people of other faiths or no faith. Caring for the environment can be one of the things that bring people together, no matter what their beliefs are. You might believe different things, but you share a common goal. Try connecting with other groups or the wider community to get more people involved in caring for the environment.
Your faith and environmentalism can go together. Think about how protecting the planet allows you to practice your faith and do good deeds.
