The planet is in crisis. The serious ecological crisis is creating concerns among thinkers and theologians, pushing them to address the issues from their own perspectives. The world today is in the grip of terrorizing Covid-19 pandemic with the reality and anguish of death. Beyond the present feared development there are more deaths on our planet for a thousand other reasons than the Coronavirus.
The prospect of a probable slower but a more certain end of humanity at some distant time is not denied. The danger associated with the environmental destruction and deterioration has aroused a deep collective fear the world over. This perspective provokes no lesser impact on the collective psyche.
Yet, modernity has systematically denied the constant imminence of death and destruction of the world. We can only reasonably hope for a collective awareness of the changes needed and decisive action taken by all stakeholders. It calls for a profound conversion of the ‘ways of life’. Christianity has to play a crucial role in translating into the concrete life those decisive actions.
As psychosomatic creatures of both body and soul (physical and spiritual), human beings within the daily ‘ways of life’ are part of one and the same substance. One, therefore, cannot be separated from the other. We are always both physical and spiritual. Consequently physical things are felt spiritually, and spiritual things are experienced through physical senses. If humanness includes a sense of humility (from Latin root, humus, soil, ground, and earth) then human being has to be ‘earthy’ (grounded) person with one’s feet firm on the ground, carrying the smell and the sense of the earth. A person is a piece of the earth and connected with it. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, mystic and a paleontologist, identified his voice with that of the earth, wherein the physical creation itself speaks to God.
We are commissioned by God to “go in the whole world and proclaim the Good News to every creature.” (Mk 16:15). This mandate is universal in its scope. The whole world today needs new spirituality that speaks new languages of love and mercy, of care and concern, of shared responsibility. All creation comes from the creator and it must be all communed to lead all back to its Source, the Creator, that is as Pope Francis referring to St. Francis of Assisi states, “drawing all other creatures into his praise” (Laudato Si/ LS 11).
This article is an attempt to reasonably call all to develop an inclusive, prophetic and challenging spiritual attitude based on nature – a relational cosmic anthropology – of forming humanity as an integral part of life on earth. It is an invitation for personal transformation in one’s spiritual life that leads to a changed social behavioral pattern. Eco-spirituality is proved here to be a ‘common’ spirituality that will bring economics, ecology, ecosystems, eco-politics and eco-spirituality together, where faith and reason, people and planet, creature and creator will remain connected.
The Ecological Problems
The Earth Day in lockdown, 22 April 2020, in support of environmental protection, is a message to reimagine the future of the earth and all life in it. Humanity is meant to be united with in spirit and body. It is to worship its Creator, the Supreme Power behind everything that is created, in spirit and truth.
The climate change is for the worst, as the earth grows hotter and the oceans warmer. It causes evaporation, forms typhoons and rainstorms. Consequently, there is flood and tsunami in certain areas, and droughts, fires, smoke and smog killers elsewhere. Plants and animals are perishing. People are perishing due to the plague. All together this, according to experts, is “ecocide”. Yet there is always a hope that the destructive lifestyles can be changed with having renewable sources of energy such as geothermal, solar and wind power.
Pope Francis states, “The space of consumption, waste and environmental change has so stretched the planet’s capacity that our contemporary lifestyle, unsustainable as it is, can only precipitate catastrophes […] the imbalance can only be reduced by our decisive action, here and now.” (LS 161). Due to such imbalance in nature, the human immune system too has weakened, and consequently we fall prey to the existing Corona pandemic that is haunting the whole humanity with fear and death.
Tomorrow: Eco Degradation: Point of No Return Approaches
Fr. Soroj Mullick, SDB is a Salesian priest from the Kolkata Province. He has a Licentiate in Catechetics and a Doctorate (Christian Education) from UPS, Italy. He has number of years of teaching experience in college and in the formation of future priests. Besides, he has written number of research papers and articles, and has 25 years of Ministry in India and abroad as Educator, Formator, Retreat Preacher, Editor and engaged in School, Parish Catechetical & Youth Ministry. He is now an assistant priest in Bandel Basilica, rendering pastoral and catechetical ministry to the parishioners and to the pilgrims. He can be contacted at [email protected].