On World Environment Day, Church urged to 'celebrate' and address 'challenges'

On the eve of World Environment Day (WED), the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) is urging churches, related-organizations and agencies to celebrate and respond to environmental concerns that are due to human activities.

"We as Christian faith based communities must 'thank God' for the multi species and bio-diversified environment as gift to the cosmic world," says Rev. Christopher Rajkumar, Secretary of Commission on Justice, Peace and Creation of NCCI.

He however reminds that impending environmental 'challenges' must not be forgotten amidst 'celebration'.

"Due to personal and individualistic greedy actions of the powerful, parts of important landscape and species are disappearing everyday from this cosmic community. This is a challenge to faith based communities who affirm God as the creator and sustainer of this cosmos. While thanking God we have to take up the challenge too," advises Rajkumar.

According to experts, some 100 species out of earth's 30-50 million species are said to be lost each day under agriculture schemes, cities, industrial developments and dams or through pollution and erosion. Also, a total of 17,291 species are threatened with extinction.

Understandably, this year's WED theme is "Many Species. One Planet. One Future." WED 2010 is aimed to be the biggest WED celebration ever. It was first established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972.

To mark the day, several NGOs and organisations will stimulate awareness of the environment by holding events, street rallies, forums and poster competitions.

To the faith-oriented also it presents an opportunity to search for faith responses, admonishes Rajkumar. "Church must take it as a missiological responsibility to care and save God's earth. Our commitment to the care of the Cosmic should be our mission agenda, because the 'Earth is Gods, and who dwell in it'. (Psl 24:1)."

Hundreds of thousands of people from every local congregation and churches from across the country will be mobilized for environmental-care actions and activities locally and nationally.

Special prayers, sermons on 'Green Sunday', tree planting on church campus, seminars, dialogues, discussions with other secular groups, elocution, essay, art competitions, are some of the proposed activities suggested by the NCCI.