Demanding ecological justice is a form of worship

When First Lady Mama Rachel Ruto planted a tree during a tree planting exercise in Kakamega. [File, PCS] In the beginning, God created everything, plus man, who was then entrusted with stewardship of creation. This took six days, the Bible says. In Islam, the Qur'an talks of similar actions by Allah. Meanwhile, in many congregations that we frequent for spiritual nourishment, especially in Africa, faith leaders preach principles of stewardship, mercy, and love. In the African context, the spirit of ubuntu says "I am because we are". Our spiritual leaders, even the traditional, are tasked with shepherding hearts and communities to ensure justice that uplifts and sustains God's creation. At this time when the earth suffers human-induced disasters and disruptions, faith leaders must use the pulpits and altars to encourage worship, not just for prosperity, or the place prepared in heaven for those who triumph against sin, but also ensure faith acts as the catalyst of positive change on environmental stewardship. As a matter of fact, environmental stewardship is a form of worship, with returns. Prof Wangari Maathai put it thus: "If you suffocate the earth, the earth will suffocate you." In Ghana, Archbishop John Bonaventure Kwofie has been vocal and led environmental prayer walks to oppose illegal mining, and keeps championing responsible use of God-given resources. In Kenya, the Anglican Church is working towards increasing the country's forest cover by 10 per cent, while Hindu Council of Kenya, (Africa) have championed environmental audits and plastic reductions. It is evident that environmental stewardship cannot remain theoretical in places of worship, because they are directly linked to food security, health, and how communities live with climatic shocks. African countries bear the debt burdens, uncontrolled extraction of the continent's critical minerals, which are exported in raw form, only to be sold back more expensively. The bilateral institutions and countries lending Africa have sometimes done so with little transparency, and in some cases tight conditions, making it impossible for the debts to directly improve people's lives. According to the Business Insider Africa, countries that owed IMF the most as at June 2025 were Egypt ($8.06 billion), Kenya at $3.02 billion, Angola with $2.75 billion, Ghana with $2.45 billion, Ivory Coast with $2.56 billion, to mention but a few. What part of this money directly benefits the people? How can the borrowing stop? Locally, borrowing attracts theft. But the people still pay. A 2022-2024 research by the AACC in Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia, Burundi, and Sierra Leone shows the consequences of irresponsible borrowing, particularly from opaque sources. Faith leaders must speak to power locally and globally, holding them accountable for fair resource governance, equitable borrowing, and just taxation. Their trust and reach to the grassroots and existing political and other power is a moral capital to tackle problems such as these. However, they must be creative, and have inclusive curricula and interfaith cooperation. They also need to collaborate with other entities. For instance, the Green Anglicans movement works with UNEP's Faith for Earth coalition through an eco-theology curricula, tree-blessing ceremonies, and theological training across 12 African nations. The Lutheran World Federation's "faith-based roadmap for climate justice" has young ambassadors engaged in mangrove restoration. This is a conversation worth having now because of the calamities Africa faces despite contributing less than 4 per cent of global carbon emissions and the reduced political space to address this issue. Faith actors are not only part of the very communities that are most affected but also often the first responders in cases of climate disasters. Their involvement in the push for a better Africa is therefore more than crucial. - The writer is a Contributing Editor at Mongabay.

Demanding ecological justice is a form of worship

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