“People came to understand—albeit late—that God’s will must be respected entirely, even for their own good, so that the earth does not lose its vocation to be a beautiful and useful garden for them, and that the beauty, order, and harmony from the beginning may be restored through their responsible, wise, and selfless attitude,” writes Father Emeritus Professor Ștefan Buchiu, honorary diocesan vicar of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, in the Parish Ecological Guide.
Only in this way, explains the professor, can people learn from nature the vocation of service, of self-sacrifice for the common good, and of preserving and strengthening communion among themselves.
In the context of World Environment Day, we share the text published by Fr. Ștefan Buchiu in the introduction to the Parish Ecological Guide, issued by the Filantropia Federation of the Romanian Patriarchate.
The Christian Attitude Toward Nature
The Christian attitude toward the natural environment is based on the belief that God is its author and that He created it in solidarity with and for the benefit of humankind. From the Holy Scripture (Genesis 1:28), we learn that nature was entrusted to man to “subdue it,” meaning to guide it toward its intended purpose—to be useful to human life on earth.
However, the stewardship or governance of nature created by God was to be exercised according to God’s will and the wisdom with which He created it—not arbitrarily or in opposition to divine thinking.
To this end, God asked Adam from the very beginning to name all living creatures, that is, in other terms, to discern the rationality imprinted by the Creator in the world He brought into existence.
The world possesses within itself a rationality conceived and embedded by God, which, when humans discover it, enables them to use nature properly without abusing it or altering its meaning, significance, or vocation.
As long as humans remained obedient to God, nature also remained obedient to them, serving them in their earthly journey. But when Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God, the earth ceased to be a “friend” and a faithful companion for them along their life path as ordained by God (Genesis 3:17–19).
People belatedly understood that God’s will must be fully respected, even for their own good, so that the earth may retain its vocation as a beautiful and useful garden for them and that the original beauty, order, and harmony might be restored through their responsible, wise, and selfless behaviour.
Only then can people learn from nature the vocation of service and self-sacrifice for the common good and the strengthening of their mutual communion.
Nature as a Gift from God
Nature, as a gift from God to humanity, should compel people to offer Him unceasing thanksgiving and to show gratitude by using it rationally and selflessly, preserving it in the order established by God, and respecting the ecological balance.
The fact that God designed and created nature as a home for humanity—or more precisely, a common home for all mankind—reveals and grounds people’s deep responsibility to care for nature and its elements.
Reflecting on how we should relate to nature, we must remember the teaching of St. Maximus the Confessor, who said that from creation, God placed a spiritual cross over the cosmos, symbolizing the duty of humans not to cling exclusively to material goods but rather, through the light of reason united with the light of faith, to discern the spiritual significance of the cosmos and its ultimate purpose—to be transfigured.
Only in this way can humans be capable of sharing material resources fairly and impartially, without irrational and selfish hoarding that excludes others.
The Danger of Abusing Nature
Just as harmful and dangerous—materially and spiritually—is the irresponsible attitude of exploiting and violating nature to obtain material gain at any cost, even at the price of pollution and ecological degradation.
“By corrupting, sterilizing, and poisoning nature,” warns Saint Dumitru Stăniloae, “man makes the existence of himself and his fellow humans impossible.”
In other words, any harm caused to nature will, sooner or later, return against man, with the most destructive consequences. Thus, when individuals act destructively toward nature, they undermine their own chances of survival, disregarding the dignity of nature as God’s creation, and they place themselves—knowingly or not—in a position of disobedience to the Creator.
Faith in God and the Christian education received through Church, school, and family can correct these attitudes and guide children, youth, and adults to respect both God and His creation, which is humanity’s home and, in a spiritual sense, God’s sanctified dwelling.
The matter used in the Holy Mysteries is part of the natural world, which believers offer to God through the hands of priests. God, in turn, receives it joyfully and gives it back to the faithful for their blessing, sanctification, and salvation. This cycle of loving exchange between humans and God reflects the endless divine love flowing within the Holy Trinity.
Nature in the Worship of the Orthodox Church
In Orthodox worship, many prayers and petitions are addressed to God not only for the salvation of people but also for the protection of nature, the increase of earth’s fruits, timely and fruitful rain, and the safety of domestic animals—helpers in the material life and labour of humanity.
Through prayer, the entire human habitat is placed under God’s loving and fatherly protection so that people may live in peace and well-being, sharing with one another the fruits of their labour and the earth.
The tradition of bringing offerings from cultivated nature to church to be blessed by God and then distributed to other believers is particular to Orthodox Christianity, which teaches that man and nature are inseparable.
Orthodox spirituality and the ethos of Orthodox Christian life reflect this beneficial, generous, and selfless attitude of the faithful, who willingly include in their dialogue with God and with others the nature given to them by God, then cared for, protected, and cultivated by them in a spirit of fraternal communion.
A Mission Rooted in Faith and Ecology
By showing concern for protecting nature, for maintaining the purity of water, for the health of the soil that generously feeds us, and for the air we breathe, along with all creatures—both domestic and wild—we demonstrate not only an ethical and ecological awareness, but, as faithful members of the Orthodox Church, a high religious, ecclesial, and missionary consciousness.
Thus, we fulfil the exhortation of St. Paul the Apostle: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Photo: Basilica.ro / Raluca-Emanuela Ene
