Next March 22nd we celebrate the World Water Day and on April 22nd the World Earth Day, two vital elements in our existence.
About them, we can find writings of any kind presenting us a wide range of concepts, realities, evaluations and challenges. In this context I ask myself: what could be said that has not yet been said? And it comes to my mind to accentuate the way we approach, contemplate and act before the water and the earth.
The Bible, in the first chapter of the book of Genesis, tells us how was formed each element of Creation, but in verses 9 and 10 of the aforementioned chapter, it speaks specifically about the earth and the waters: “God said: ‘Let the waters under heaven come together into a single mass, and let dry land appear.’ And so it was. God called the dry land «earth» and the mass of waters «seas,» and God saw that it was good”; the text ends with a very significant expression «God saw that he was good.» We find this phrase at the conclusion of each creative act and refers about the relationship between what was created and its Creator; that means that all things are good because their Creator is good and his goodness is materialized in each creature hence, everything is marked with a sell: «Be good» and that is its essence.
Similarly, in each creature we can contemplate the goodness and what is good and transport ourselves to its origin, that is to God; so it was understood by Saint Francis of Assis, world patron of ecology, who was calling all that exists “brother”, “sister”, because they come from the same hands and the same love. Also the first inhabitants of the earth understood it in this way; in their world view we find a great cultural richness showing us how they were conceiving and were relating to the environment and we discover a common denominator: between the first inhabitants (indigenous peoples) and the earth there is a relationship of symbiosis, filial union, unity and not domination. The earth is a collective resource and it has not an individual value; they generally feel that they are children of the earth and they refer to it naming it as mother.
But today, what does it remain of all that for us, inhabitants of the 21st century? We should become aware of how we look at and we relate to the environment because we are far from that fraternal gaze and we have learned to look at things, people and realities from a utilitarian and commercial perspective, to dominate, hoard and exploit, thinking selfishly and always looking for our own benefit; progress, industries, consumerism and pollution leave traces of pain and death in each living being, putting aside the value of care, respect, ecological solidarity and / or universal brotherhood.
Pope Francis in the encyclical Laudato Sí tells us that: “Fresh drinking water is an issue of primary importance, since it is indispensable for human life and for supporting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems” (cf. LS 28). And he advises us that “in many places demand exceeds the sustainable supply, with dramatic consequences in the short and long term … large sectors of the population have no access to safe drinking water or experience droughts which impede agricultural production. Some countries have areas rich in water while others endure drastic scarcity (cf. LS 28). He also expresses his worry for “the quality of water available to the poor that causes many deaths and diseases related with the contamination” (cf. LS 29). In a similar way, another threat against the water and the earth, is the tendency to privatize this resource, turning it into a commodity subject to the laws of the market (cf LS 30).
But, let’s look again at the first inhabitants, and I am not referring to peoples no longer existing, but to those who remain stable in a more natural state and struggle to conserve their land and customs; those who live in harmony with their environment and in common territories, teach us the sacredness of nature, its relationship with the life and how to survive. They invite us to approach the water and the earth with a humble and contemplative attitude; only doing so, we may, as disciples, learn, from their richness some aspects very necessary for our daily life such as the role of the flowing water to fertilize, clean and collaborate with other elements to become food, medicine and blessing and, from the earth, the solidity, its capacity to contain, shelter, protect, provide, exchange, transform and give generously.
The pandemic generated by Covid 19 has been a wake-up call and an opportunity to reflect on the value of life, relationships, nature and healthy customs. Let us ask ourselves: how can we thank the Creator Father for the water and the earth? How can we honor his existence? Which actions should we implement for the fraternal and respectful use of these two elements?
Hna. BILMA NARCISA FREIRE CHAMORRO TC