By Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo
Tema, Sept. 20, GNA – Christians have been urged to regard the protection of the environment not only as an environmental responsibility but also as a spiritual duty entrusted to humanity by God.
The call was made during a sermon on the theme: “Nature: Life Source for All Inhabitants; The Galamsey Menace,” which focused on the Christian responsibility to protect Ghana’s natural resources and address the effects of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Mr Emmanuel Ohene Atiemo, Tema North District Director of Church Life and Nurture (CLAN) of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), made the call while preaching on “Flower Sunday.”
Mr Atiemo, who is also the Session Clerk of the PCG Redemption Congregation, Tema Community 9, said nature, including air, water, forests, rivers, land, animals and minerals, was God’s gift to humanity and provided the resources necessary for human survival.
“Nature is God’s gift to humanity,” he said, stressing that human beings were dependent on nature for their daily existence and therefore had a responsibility to protect it.
Quoting Genesis 1:26-28, he said God had made humanity stewards of creation and expected people to exercise responsible dominion over the natural resources entrusted to them.
He said the misuse and destruction of natural resources through activities such as illegal mining amounted to a failure to fulfil that responsibility.
“Caring for nature is not merely an environmental duty. It is a spiritual responsibility as well,” he stressed.
Mr Atiemo expressed concern about the deteriorating condition of some of Ghana’s rivers, including the Pra, Ankobra, Offin and Birim, saying activities that polluted water bodies had consequences beyond the communities where they occurred.
He noted that rivers and other water bodies were interconnected and that pollution in one area could have implications for communities that depended on the wider water system.
He also highlighted the impact of forest destruction, saying the loss of vegetation affected ecosystems, wildlife and the ability of the environment to support human life.
The CLAN Director said the destruction of forests through illegal mining also raised concerns about what would be left for future generations.
“What are we leaving for our children?” he asked, warning that future generations could inherit polluted rivers and degraded lands if current environmental practices were not changed.
Mr Atiemo distinguished between regulated and illegal mining, saying responsible mining required measures to manage waste and prevent harmful substances from entering water bodies.
He expressed concern about the use of mercury in mining, describing it as a toxic substance that could pose risks to human health when people were exposed to it.
Mr Atiemo urged Christians to reject activities that destroyed the environment and refrain from supporting or financing illegal mining.
“We do not have to participate in or support activities that destroy God’s creation,” he said.
He also encouraged Christians to educate their families and communities on environmental responsibility, plant trees, dispose of waste properly and protect their immediate surroundings.
Mr Atiemo called for greater support for afforestation and the restoration of degraded areas, saying environmental protection should not be seen as the responsibility of only those living around major rivers or in mining communities.
He also urged Christians to pray for leaders, law-enforcement agencies, traditional authorities and communities to exercise wisdom in managing the country’s natural resources.
Mr Atiemo said the fight against illegal mining required collective responsibility because the consequences of environmental degradation could affect the entire country.
Referring to Matthew 25:14-30, he said Christians would ultimately be accountable for how they managed the resources entrusted to them.
He, therefore, urged Christians to embrace “stewardship over greed, preservation over destruction and responsibility over exploitation” to protect the environment for present and future generations.
Mr Atiemo called on Christians to recognise the protection of nature as an integral part of their faith and responsibility to God.
GNA
Edited by Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo
Email: [email protected]