Creation care task force

"An important solution is to stop cutting down the trees and instead plant trees." Concludes the group leader. And the whole group agrees. I am doing a reflection on creation care for the youth group at Karunia Church in Papua. This church is located in a village at the foot of Cyclops Mountain, and over the years population growth has increased the pressure on the forest. Mainly due to the construction of gardens and to the harvesting of firewood. As a result, the forest boundary has already moved several hundred meters up the mountain.

Jef, the president of the Karunia youth group, invited me to share reflections on Creation Care. He is a biology student and has a big heart for creation. When I start sharing my reflections, I'm speaking to quite a large group because Jef also invited youth groups from neighboring churches. I take them through the story of creation and to Deuteronomy 22:6-7. I show them how much God loves us and also the rest of His creation and how dependent we are on one another. I end with the call to approach creation with the same love that God displays. After that I divide them in groups to discuss their own environmental challenges. These challenges include drinking water, fertile soil, erosion, plastic waste, rain and drought.

At the end of the meeting, they jointly decide to form a Creation care task force to serve their own communities by, for example, picking up trash and planting trees. I am glad that I was able to play a positive role in this.