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“Turn away from your sins, and believe the good news” “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In God’s hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” (Job 12:7-10) “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal.  The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, and sea level has risen.” (U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) As we enter the season of Lent, the season of fasting, repentance, and prayer, let’s take a moment to consider how we might repent of the harm we do to God’s creation. At this moment, human-driven climate change is contributing to increased hunger, thirst, sickness, and conflict around the world. Untold thousands of species are becoming extinct. Our lands, waters, and air are polluted. Creation was given to us as a gift. We are not tending that gift, and the human family is suffering because of it. We invite you to discuss these questions: Let’s reflect for a few moments on what we do care for. • We take good care of what is precious to us. • We take good care of what we need. • We take good care of what our loved ones need. • We take good care of special gifts. Do creation and all it offers us fit these descriptions? What about our brothers and sisters around the world, particularly those most vulnerable to climate change? What leads us to treat creation differently from other things we need and love? How are our habits and lifestyles holding back our love for the whole human family and the community of creation? What commitments can we make during the season of Lent to demonstrate penance and turn away from harming creation? (James E. Hug, SJ) A Prayer of Gratitude for Creation: God of the universe, We thank You for Your many good gifts – For the beauty of Creation and its rich and varied fruits, For clean water and fresh air, for food and shelter, animals and plants. Forgive us for the times we have taken the earth’s resources for granted and wasted what You have given us. Transform our hearts and minds so that we would learn to care and share, to touch the earth with gentleness and with love, respecting all living things. We pray for all those who suffer as a result of our waste, greed and indifference. And we pray that the day would come when everyone has enough food and clean water. Help us to respect the rights of all people and all species and help us to willingly share your gifts today and always. Amen. (- Fiona Murdoch, Eco-Congregation Ireland)

David Junior, Mozambique “The Chokwe district has huge agricultural potential since it is crossed by the Limpopo river. In the past, this area supplied major markets of the country. But because of increasing floods and droughts, we cannot irrigate in the same way. Due to our water problems, the agricultural area has shrunk by almost 75%.” Wash dishes wisely. Reuse the water in a dishpan or stoppered sink to scrub loose food. BLOG Washing your dishes can be an opportunity to reflect on the privilege of having water and the sacred responsibility to steward it. There are several ways to reduce your water use while washing dishes: If washing by hand, use a basin or stopped sink while scrubbing and use fresh water only to rinse. Reuse the dirty water in your garden. If washing in the dishwasher, wash only when the machine is completely full and avoid use of the heated drying option. As you wash, reflect on this brief statement from Brother Lawrence, a 17th-century monk who spent his life washing dishes: “We must work towards making every action, without exception, into a kind of brief conversation with God — not in any artificial way, but purely, simply.”

Bishop Ernesto, Mozambique “The effects of climate change are real in Mozambique, with historic flooding in the north a drought in the south. It is amazing how much a change in water affects our day-to-day lives. This impacts on human’s wellbeing as well as all of God’s creatures.” Re-use shower water to flush the toilet . Use a bucket to catch the water in your shower, and reuse it later for flushing. BLOG Stewarding the gift of water means using it to its fullest. While showering, set a bucket of water at your feet to catch the flow. If bathing children, scoop water out after they have finished. Pour the water in your bucket into the toilet tank to flush it.

Barbara Oosthuizen, South Africa “An ecological disaster such as running out of water affects us all–from the wealthiest to the poorest. For the first time, those who have always had easy access to water will experience what it feels like to have little. A crisis such as this is an equaliser.” Take shorter showers. Time how long it takes you to shower. Set a goal of reducing that time, and use an alarm to make sure you’re on track. BLOG Showers use the resources of God’s creation in two ways. First, the water itself is drawn from aquifers, reservoirs, and other sources. Second, water treatment and heating are very energy-intensive. In many areas, the water in showers is sanitized to the same level as water used for drinking, an industrial process that demands a great amount of electricity. In homes, the water is then heated, which again demands a large amount of electricity. Shortening the length of your shower by any amount is a step in the right direction. Set yourself a goal and use a timer to check your progress. While setting your timer, reflect: “Water is a sacred gift from God and, speaking for Christians, it’s not only not just full-time conservationists who are called to be stewards of God’s creation–it’s all of us!”