If nature is an expression of the work of a Supreme Being it is a puzzling fact that world religions are largely silent on conservation matters.
This is made more so when we realize that the great religious leaders found it necessary to go into wilderness areas to draw closer to their God. Mohammed left his home in Mecca to go to a mountain cave to meditate. The Buddha went into solitude and sitting beneath that famous tree received the illumination he was seeking. Jesus, Son of God of the Christian Faith, retired to the desert that he too might meditate.
There appears to be a quality of wilderness that allows great spiritual minds to discover what they seek. In such places they find deep concentration possible and discover their God in the quietness of the song of sand or in the fingering of wind among leaves.
If wild places do have such qualities then religious leaders should be anxious that there will always be such places. Surely the quality of these wilderness areas are worth preserving? If so what might the leaders of the great religions do to instill in their congregations a commitment to protect Nature in all its unknowable mystery?
Nature is now in deep trouble and needs the help of world religious leaders.
Such leaders could play a tremendous part in conservation. Hundreds of millions of their followers would listen to what they have to say. Why not on one day of each year religious leaders would speak in their temples or mosques or churches on how each member of the congregation could help in the protection of species and habitats?
One day a year!
A letter of instruction from each of the world religious leaders is all it would take. In this way religions could be enormously influential in instilling an awareness in their people to be part in the protection of nature.
Conservation needs your help. Please seriously consider this proposition. Those who are members of the varied great religions and who read this I would ask you to please reflect on what is stated here and bring this idea to those of influence within your respective churches.
Details on how this idea could be developed further is to be found in Planet Dancing. Don’t just read this and then let it go. Conservation of species and the habitats on which species depends could do with your help in bringing this idea to the leaders of your great religion. If we, together, succeed in this we will have done something of great benefit to nature. And years later you can say ‘I was part of that’.
In conclusion – a Christmas greetings to all of you who, at this time of year, carry the faith of Christianity.
Patrick