Stewards of the Earth

As humans, we are all stewards of the earth. What is it about man, that makes us that much more responsible for the fate of our planet than any other creature that walks the earth? For one thing, we are the only ones intelligent enough to discern actions which harm the earth from the actions which do not. But more importantly, we have a greater effect on our planet than any creature who has ever roamed it in its 4.5 billion years of existence. Never before has one creature held such power – the power to create lakes, the power to cut down an entire forest, the power to shape the land in such a way as we see fit. We hold the power to completely obliterate the planet and all its life. It is not something to take lightly.

How can we even be trusted with that sort of power? Perhaps we can't, as even today we continue to abuse it. We rape the land of all of its resources and leave the lush forests barren and gray. We pollute the lungs of our children with poisonous air. We betray God's trust in us to take care of our own home.

Now some fools may say, "God entrusted us with the planet and all of it's resources. Clearly, anything that comes from the earth is there for us to use." This may be true to a degree; however, just because a resource exists doesn't mean that we're allowed to abuse it. An animal's pelt may keep us warm, but it doesn't mean we have the right to hunt it to extinction and completely wipe out one of God's great creations. In much the same way, the ability to use a resource does not give us the right to abuse it. Can we really not go a single day without the comforts we have become so accustomed to? Would people allow their homes to be a little warmer in the summer if they knew it would prevent their children from boiling in the future?

Every year, we penetrate the earth deeper and more violently for our own pleasure. We violate the planet, slowly destroying it year by year, sucking it dry as it withers away beneath our feet. We can hear its moans of pain as it begs for mercy. The air becomes thick with smog, choking off the life from the animals, plants, and humans. The ice caps melt as the surface of the earth heats up slowly. The winds change wildly as planet gives birth to powerful storms.

Is this what God had in mind for the planet? To watch it die a slow, painful death at the hands of his own creation? We have a responsibility to take care of our home – for ourselves, for the creatures of the earth, for our children and our children's children. We are the only ones that can reverse the damage, before it's too late. This is perhaps the greatest challenge for humanity, a true test of our worthiness to call the earth home. Through God's grace, perhaps we can finally come together for this common goal. Perhaps this will be the force that unites us all. The force that brings together every faction of mankind from every background. The force that transcends all of our differences and petty squabbles.

A Prayer of Love

Let me speak to you wisdom from our lord – a prayer for the betterment of all mankind.
God, our lord in Heaven. Creator of all things. Life, the universe, and existence itself. Humans, birds, trees, wind; all are children of God. He permeates all things, for we are all intertwined. A living, breathing organism. We feel each other’s pain. We feel each other’s sorrow. We feel each other’s happiness. We feel each other’s love. Distance is but an illusion. For we are all part of the same entity. God lives in each and every one of us, and with that comes his love. This is both the greatest blessing of all and the greatest burden – a burden that all men are born with. We have a responsibility to care for not only ourselves, but for all of God’s creation. This is why we must pick the crying man up, for he is a part of us. This is why we must show the evil man love, for he too is a part of us. This is why we must take care of the Earth – the place we call home; because it too is a part of us. We pray that all man is able to work towards the collective good and to shower the earth with God’s love.
Man is neither truly good, nor truly evil. We all share in God’s love. We all have Him within us; therefore, we all have the potential to do good. Without that, we would be nothing more than creatures surviving off of our instincts – slaves to fate and our base desires. Where then does evil come from? Some may say from Satan and demons. Some may say from man his self. Some may say that evil simply is – that it exists. But perhaps evil is simply the absence of God. For when we do not listen to his will within us all, we err. And when we err, we hurt our collective self. This is the birthplace of sin. But if we were all to listen, and truly hear, perhaps we could find true harmony between ourselves, the planet, and the universe itself. We pray that all man is able to listen and hear the voice of reason with us all, as the hand of the Holy Spirit pushes us onward to do good.
In order to cleanse the world, our Lord had to rise from the dirt. He came to us in an imperfect form: that of a human. But through his death and rebirth, he showed us how we could transcend our mortal forms and our limitations. If we could hear the voice of God, and walk in the footsteps of our lord, we could live the lives we were meant to live. We could establish the Kingdom of God – the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. All of us, working in harmony, as one creature. This would be impossible alone. It requires each and every one of us to feel His love within us and share it with the world. To rise above hate; to rise above greed; to rise above our limitations as humans.  This is what we pray for most of all. We pray that every man is able to feel the lord within him and to lead one another with love. We pray that one day this world will attain perfection in the eyes of God. For once we all learn to live by his will, to love with his love, then we will all be part of Him, in perfection.