The Huffington Post
by Yasmine Hafiz
April 22, 2014
Caring for creation is something that all the residents of this beautiful, diverse, and breathtaking planet have a stake in. The environment we live in is inextricable from our daily lives, and our actions have a direct impact on it. Many faith traditions emphasize the importance of acting as a steward for the planet as well as giving thanks for its life-sustaining blessings.
These breathtaking natural wonders remind us of the importance of taking care of the environment. What have you done for the earth today?
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| Iguazu Falls, Argentina and Brazil |
"God created man and woman entrusting them with the task of filling the earth and subduing it, which does not mean exploiting it, but nurturing and protecting it, caring for it through their work." -Pope Francis
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| Aurora Borealis, Norway |
"The Goddess religion asserts that the earth is alive, and that everything on the earth is part of a living being." -Starhawk
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| Bamboo Forest, Japan |
"The world’s forests are a shared stolen treasure that we must put back for our children’s future."
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| The Grand Canyon, U.S.A. |
"We must acquire a compassionate heart – what St. Isaac of Syria, a seventh century mystic once called a heart that burns with love for the whole of creation: for humans, for birds and beasts, for all God’s creatures." -Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
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| Uluru, Australia |
"Morally speaking, we should be concerned for our whole environment." -The Dalai Lama
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| Mount Rainier, U.S.A. |
"Air is the Guru, Water is the Father, and Earth is the Great Mother of all." -The Second Guru, Guru Angad
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| Antelope Canyon, U.S.A. |
"We have inherited a great thing in this Earth and all its bounty. Why not leave it better than we found it for those who will come after us?" -Ibrahim Abdul-Matin
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| Pamukkale, Turkey |
“God has, in fact, written two books, not just one. Of course, we are all familiar with the first book he wrote, namely Scripture. But he has written a second book called creation.” -Francis Bacon
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| Mount Fuji, Japan |
"We are all connected and there is no escape; our common future depends on how we care for the rest of the natural world, not just the square feet of soil we may call 'our own." -Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori
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| Tuscany, Italy |
"The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens." -Baha'u'llah
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"Nothing that the Lord created in the world was superfluous or vain; hence, all must be sustained." -Rabbi Norman Lamm
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| Jiuzhaigou Park, China |
“We find greater lightness & ease in our lives as we increasingly care for ourselves & other beings.” -Sharon Salzberg
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| Salinas Grandes, Argentina |
"Strength is knowing what's happening to the world around us, and moreover, as a Christian, we can't claim to love the Creator and abuse the world in which we live." -Rev. Richard Cizik
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| Skaftafell, Iceland |
“The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.” -Pope John Paul II
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| Cliffs of Mohr, Ireland |
"We are not masters of this Earth; it does not belong to us to do what we wish." -Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef
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| K2, Himalayas |
"Let there be peace in the heavens, the Earth, the atmosphere, the water, the herbs, the vegetation, among the divine beings and in Brahman, the absolute reality." -Atharva Veda
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| White Desert, Egypt |
"May we never seek to mistreat the earth; may we live with reverence for you and all you have made. " -Lakota Prayer
