What might all of this mean concretely? It is difficult to answer such a question. It certainly should lead to a renewed effort on the part of Christians to seek to understand God's will for creation, sure that his purpose is a loving one in which we are called to cooperate. Secondly, we are perhaps being called in a new way to contemplate the wonders of God's creation, be it in nature or in the marvelous ingenuity of the human mind, and to praise God with heart and tongue for these gifts. And thirdly, we must face the challenge of conversion, seeking in prayer the courage to change not only our own attitude and way of life but also to commit ourselves to social change. This is actually a very sobering task, given the powers that face those who call into question the present order.
In his 1990 World Day of Peace Message, John Paul II calls for an education in ecological responsibility. This implies, in the first place, self-education "not rooted in mere sentiment or empty wishes". Such education should lead us to choices, to particular commitments. ...Above all, we must be alive with the conviction that we can do something. Hope is the hallmark of the Christian. May what seem to be a simple slogan, now become an efficacious prayer: Peace with God -- Peace with All of Creation.
-- Care for Creation: Human Activity and the Environment, Sister Marjorie Keenan, RSHM, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2000
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