Creation Care as an Act of Faith

Creation Care and the Good Life

Creation Care is not only about our individual choices regarding things like recycling and saving energy. It is also about justice, living a good life and following in Jesus’ footsteps on our faith journey. As church and as Christians we are both spiritual and political: called to join with others, to raise our voices, and to live mindfully for the sake of people, planet, and future generations.

September is the month of creation, a time when Christians around the world take time reflect and give thanks for God’s gift of creation. It is also a time to renew our commitment to God’s creation and to remind ourselves of the responsibility we carry to care for it.

Climate change challenges us every day. News about droughts, floods, fires, and storms can leave us feeling small and powerless, experiencing climate change first hand is scary and a reality. Yet as a church and as individuals, we might ask ourselves: What difference can our small efforts make? Is it really worth the effort?

The truth is, Creation Care is about so much more than only about the impact of our efforts measured in tons of CO₂ or litres of water saved. Creation Care is about living faithfully, about being mindful of how we move through the world, and about expressing God’s love through our choices. It is not just a question of effort and impact — it is a question of discipleship.

Graz: Small Steps in Daily Life

In Graz, the United Methodist congregation has taken many small but intentional steps to act mindfully: switching to renewable electricity and joining the district’s heating system (Fernwärme), choosing Fair Trade coffee, offering a vegetarian option at every congregational lunch, and avoiding disposable dishes at gatherings. Waste is separated, cleaning products are chosen with care, and many come to church by bicycle or public transport.

Do these steps “solve” climate change? Of course not. But they remind and show us, and our neighbours, that there are other more conscious ways to live our lives and our faith. They make visible our conviction that loving God and spreading God’s love is not just words, but also lived.

Salzburg: Growing Together

In Salzburg, the congregation is working with others to found Religions 4 Future Salzburg. This interfaith effort was officially introduced during an ecumenical Creation Service on 21 September in the Kurpark. Earlier this summer, the congregation organised a flea market together with neighbours. This event is a celebration of reusing, instead of buying new, and community that will be repeated every year.

Again, the impact may be hard to measure. But these gatherings remind us that Creation Care is not a private matter. It is a shared journey, one where we learn from one another and draw strength from walking together. We do not need to, and should not, do this alone.

Vienna: Learning and Living Creation Care

The English-Speaking United Methodist Church in Vienna also integrates Creation Care into its community life. Clothes exchanges provide a way to come together, find a couple of new outfits without contributing towards fast fashion. At church gatherings and Sunday fellowship time, reusable plates and cups are used. And even the Sunday School integrates Creation Care into its lessons, helping children connect faith with everyday practices of respect and love for the world we get to call home.

Here too, it is not about solving everything at once. It is about showing, especially to the next generation, that a faithful life includes mindful choices for creation and that taking care of creation is a part of our spiritual journey.

Creation and Social Justice

Climate change affects the poor and vulnerable most severely: those who contribute the least to the problem often suffer the greatest consequences. To care for creation is, therefore, also requires us to stand up for justice, to recognise that protecting the planet is inseparable from protecting and helping people, and that is what Jesus calls us to do.

In this way, Creation Care is both spiritual and political. As a church, we are called not only to change our own habits but also to raise our voice, to stand alongside others, and to work for and to lead towards the structural changes our world so urgently needs.

This is why partnerships matter. Our greatest impact will likely not come from implementing changes alone, but from finding others and combining our efforts. Joining groups like Religions for Future and other interfaith movements that align with our values can make all the difference. Together we can amplify our witness and push for the transformation our world longs for.

Effort and Impact

When we reflect on effort and impact when talking about creation care, climate change and living mindfully, we often hope for a clear answer: Is reducing the amount of meat I eat or what mode or transport I choose really making a difference while private jets still cruise around? Yet from the perspective of faith, the question takes on another meaning. Every effort to live more gently with creation is a spiritual act, an act to do no harm and an expression of trust that God provides, that we do not need to cling to endless possessions, and that the “good life” is not about more but about enough.

A Prayer for Creation

God, we thank You for the gift of this world — for air and water, soil and seed,
for creatures big and small, and for the people with whom we share this planet.

Teach us to live with care and gratitude.
Strengthen us when our efforts feel too small.
Remind us that every act of love, however simple,
is a sign of your love.

In this Month of Creation,
renew in us the joy of living simply,
the patience to walk gently,
and the courage to stand up for justice,
trusting that you will provide and we do not need more.

Amen.

(For background information about the month of creation, please see the World Council of Churches webpage at https://www.oikoumene.org/what-we-do/care-for-creation-and-climate-justice#season-of-creation.)