SECAM: Season of Creation Opens in Spirit of Ecumenical Prayer for Peace
Season of Creation. Credit; Courtesy photo
By Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
On Monday, September 1, as the month-long Season of Creation begins, ecumenical faith leaders from around the world conducted an online prayer service to launch the event and called the people of God to have peace with creation.
Season of Creation is a Christian observance, celebrated annually from September 1, the day of creation, also known as the Feast of Creation, to October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, who is the patron saint of ecology.
The prayer session was organized by the Season of Creation Steering Committee, comprising the Holy See’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the World Council of Churches, Lutheran World Federation, Laudato Si’ Movement, and the Anglican Communion Environmental Network, among others.
It brought on board His Eminence Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo Besungu, the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), Rev. Atahualpa Helnandez Mirinda, the bishop president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia, and Rev. Dr Hyunju Bae of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK).
In his reflection on peace with our neighbour, Cardinal Ambongo referenced Genesis 2:15 on the role of stewardship to humanity and said, “Jesus says, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. To keep recalls the mission entrusted to Adam and Eve. Therefore, keeping the commandments means accepting our vocation of being guardians to ourselves, to others, and to creation.”
According to the Congolese Prelate and a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap), human beings are to be stewards, and it is “clear that the refusal of this mission appears since Cain, after killing his brother, responded to God, Am I my brother’s keeper?
He emphasized that sin breaks the bond of responsibility towards others and towards the earth. Hence, “The rejection of this responsibility jeopardises peace.”
At a time when atomic bombing in society has damaged the environment, led to atmospheric and water pollution, and induced global fear, Rev. Bae said, “Let us face the fear that the atomic bomb has aroused with faith that it can never travel beyond the arms of the Divine.”
She called people from all walks of life to develop solutions together and act on them through collaboration.
On his part, Rev. Mirinda of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, while reflecting on peace with nature, underscored the need to seek peace with creation and with humanity, “to build bridges instead of deepening our rebelliousness.”
He noted that the people of God need to work with courage and the effort be united and coordinated to offer hope for peace to prevail on earth.
Since the 5th century, the Orthodox Church marks Creation Day by celebrating the mystery of God’s creation “in the beginning.” In 1989, they invited all Christians to join this day of prayer, and many churches have since embraced the tradition. Pope Francis officially made the Roman Catholic Church welcome the Season of Creation in 2015, and in 2019, he encouraged the faithful to celebrate the ecumenical Season of Creation.
Unlike Earth Day, Creation Day places God at the center, reflecting on the entire created order: the earth, stars, and heavens, and affirms that all was made through Christ, hence the need to care for creation as a sacred gift.
