What isEco-Spirituality? Why is it Important to All Spiritual Individuals?
Eco-Spirituality is a way of life. It is being deeply spiritual, ONE with the CREATOR.
Eco-spirituality is based on the sacredness of God’s creation, which is God’s first Revelation(Gen 1:2)
Eco spirituality teaches that divine life extends to all reality, and the Cosmos is an integral part of God’s self-revelation. In eco-spirituality, we explore our relationship with God in the context of our relationship with the whole Cosmos with God in the center as Creator of this masterpiece.
God, the Divine is not just the source of creation but also a part of creation; a part with which we can interact on a daily basis through our senses and from such experiences gain greater insight into the wonder of reality. God is everywhere. God is present in every creature that came from Him. All things were made through Him and without Him not anything was made that was made (John 1:3)
Personally, it leads us to a spiritually motivated task of preserving the living planet and a dedication to a sustainable prosperity for all – Chief Seattle’s message to US President.
Eco-spirituality understands the position of human beings to be inextricably related to all other life forms within an interrelated, interconnected web that is part of the Divine’s dance of life.
Eco-spiritual perspectives can be found in all the world’s religious traditions. No matter how they are articulated, however, these perspectives all provide for recognition of the importance and relevance of the immanent Divine, the power of understanding our human relationship to the planet, and our direct experiences of the Natural world.
For hundreds of years, those who have been interested in the spiritual life have found that exposure to the beauty of the Earth is a way to make God powerfully present. We are now becoming interested in the ecological movement and a new awareness of the transcendence of the Cosmos. Concern for the present ecological crisis impels us to a spirituality of being caretakers of the Earth and stewards of God’s creation (Gen 2:15)
While the term, “ecospirituality,” is a relatively new one, the psalmists sang of God’s presence in Nature and often called on the entire Cosmos to join in celebration: “Let the Heavens rejoice and the Earth be glad…” (Ps. 96) Theologians and contemplatives, past and present, have experienced the hand of God in the magnificence of the Cosmos.
Today, more than ever we need to learn about the depths of ecospirituality as we face the devastating issues of climate change, water pollution, acid rain, deforestation, hazardous waste disposal and the total annihilation of many plant and animal species. We need to deepen our realization that the human being is intrinsically connected to the Cosmos andt destroying God’s creation is a social and personal sin. We pray that an increased awareness of ecospirituality will transform our minds and hearts and bring oneness and integration with one another and with our planet.