Why aren't we doing more to protect the world God gave us?

It means religion should not become an excuse to escape the real world.

Genuine faith should impel us to become co-creators of the future – a future which will be at peace with an ever-changing reality; a future rooted in hope; a future that is authentic; a future that is achievable.

In a world constantly on the edge of war, we need leaders – both spiritual and secular – who are concerned not just with their own future, but who are determined to shape the future in a positive way for this generation and, more importantly, for our children and grandchildren.

I am feeling more and more guilty because of what my selfishness is doing.

We have all but destroyed creation. So many of us continue not only to deny climate change, but to absolve ourselves of any responsibility for it.

One of the most cringe-worthy attitudes is the “it will do me for my day” philosophy.

I now am truly worried that, at my final judgement, I will be asked to account for my part in the destruction of creation.

God will not be interested in the list of sins I grew up with, but God will surely want to know why I helped to destroy his beautiful creation.

It really is a matter of justice. What right have I to thoughtlessly meander through life leaving an unliveable universe for those coming after me?

The earth is not mine to use and abuse with abandon. The world is in need of healing.

This is a time when so many decent people struggle to hang on to what little hope they have.

We need to bring both hope and reality together. Deep-seated anger is the only healthy reaction to our utter betrayal of Mother Nature.

Yet unless we deal with anger, it too will destroy us. It is imperative that we heal our earth as we find healing for our souls.

Of course, we must live in the real world. But the ultimate sin would be to create a comfortable place where we can ignore the destruction we have caused, and where we become like little ‘gods’ ourselves.

C.S. Lewis wrote: “The prayer before all prayer is: May it be the real I who speaks. May it be the real Thou that I speak to.”

Healing is a journey where each of us has to face our true selves honestly. Otherwise, we imprison ourselves in a vault of despair.

I take courage from Mary Oliver’s poem, ‘The Journey’, as follows.

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice ...

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind ...

and there was a new voice

which you slowly

recognised as your own,

and kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world

determined to do

the only thing you could do

determined to save

the only life you could save.

Broadly speaking, genuine healing follows a pattern and is a slow, organic process.

Step one begins with reflection. It’s ‘making time to take time’.

The great deception today is the sin of unnecessary busyness. It’s a symptom of our own cowardice – of being afraid to face the inevitable truth. It is to exaggerate our own importance.

But healthy reflection has to be mature, acknowledging the positives whilst facing the failures honestly.

Step two on the healing journey is facing the causes of failure and hurt as objectively as possible.

We will not achieve that on our own – which is why we need to check our conclusions with an objective and qualified soul friend, or anam cara.

Step three requires that we sift through the bits and pieces of life to determine what can be changed and accept what cannot.

Step four is realistically looking to the future with determination, courage and hope.

Healing requires that we give up dreams of a perfect past so that we can achieve a better future.

When I reflect, I recognise some obvious struggles. For example, as a believer, I’m conscious of a presumption of atheism in everyday society.

It’s a struggle to maintain a vital sense of God within a secular world.

The famous theologian of the last century, Karl Rahner, foretold that believers would have to be mystics to avoid being an unbeliever.

His prophecy has come to pass. It’s a struggle to live in a polarised society, as a wounded person myself, and to carry that tension without resentment so that I can be a healer and a peacemaker rather than respond to anger with even more anger.

I find it’s a struggle to live, love and forgive when I am immersed in a world of duplicity, anger and begrudgery; to be neither liberal nor conservative, whilst acting compassionately and with true sincerity.

It’s a struggle to be truly human in a responsible way. It’s hard to be chaste and passionate.

It is a constant battle with moral loneliness. Where does one find soul mates inside divided religious and cultural communities?

How can I maintain a healthy individuality whilst being part of dysfunctional communities?

This week, considering the utter brutality of senseless war-mongering in Israel, Gaza and Ukraine, it is difficult not to give way to paranoia, fear, hate or even despair.

This is when we must dig deep within ourselves to discover what we really believe. Many people ask me how can God allow attacks like Hamas made on Israel.

How can so many innocent people – the very young and the very old – suffer so needlessly?

Why would God-fearing people treat millions of Palestinians so cruelly in revenge?

The answer should be obvious. God had nothing to do with it.

Modern society likes to have its cake and eat it. It often denies the existence of God, but when evil happens, God is always made the scapegoat for it.

For now, the best I can offer is this: “Faith is not a thing one ‘loses’; we merely cease to shape our lives by it.”