This World is God’s creation. He loves it and in the book of Genesis we are told that he thinks it is “very good”. If God loves this world then we as Christians should also love what he loves and take care of it. This is not an optional extra for a few keen environmentalists, but it is a fundamental part of what it means to be human. It’s a fundamental part of being Christian.

It is an uncomfortable truth that many of the problems that our world and its inhabitants face are caused by human activity. Climate Change causes environmental problems across the world. The sad fact is that the worst of those problems are suffered by people and countries that are less fortunate than most western societies – the poorer societies and the already underprivileged are the people who suffer most. As Christians we are asked to love our neighbours. In this modern world our ‘neighbours’ may be in Africa or in Pacific Island communities. In order to love our neighbours, we must be active in helping to mitigate and prevent the worst effects of climate change.

Each of us enjoys a brief spell in this world. During our lifetime God’s world is on loan to us – we do not own it. If we borrow an item from a friend, then usually we try to return it intact and in the same condition as when we first borrowed it. Exactly the same should apply to this world. We inhabit and borrow it for our lifespan and it’s our duty to return it in the same order, or better, that when we first started to use it. These facts should define our eco-characteristics.