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Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away (Hos 4:1-3).

Creation is a living organism. Though the earth, the waters, sky, sun, stars, moon, and other aspects of creation are often seen as inanimate, scripture shows that they are living. Scripture attributes living traits to the creation. The land mourns (Hosea 4:3), opens its mouth (Genesis 4:11) and can be defiled (Numbers 35:30-35). Mountains tremble (Nahum 1:5) and jump (114:4), and the waters flee (Psalm 104:7). The moon is confounded (Isaiah 24:23), while the sun gets ashamed (Isaiah 24:23). The Apostle Paul says the whole creation is groaning (Romans 8:22). The prophet Hosea says that the land mourns because of the prevalence of evil and wickedness. In this article, I consider conflict (i.e. murder and bloodshed) as a contributing factor to global warming and environmental degradation, making the creation groan.

Several conflicts are raging in the world today: the Russo-Ukraine war, Israeli-Palestine conflict, civil wars in Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as other less well-known conflicts. All these conflicts heavily impact the environment. But the Geneva Environment Network (2024) notes that “as humanity has always counted its war casualties in terms of dead and wounded soldiers and civilians, destroyed cities and livelihoods, the environment is often a hidden victim of war.”

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (2009) says the first and direct impact of conflict in the environment is the “intentional targeting of the environment, physical destruction, or the use of natural resources by militant groups to finance conflict, environmental contamination from bombing of industrial sites, and military debris and demolition waste from targeted infrastructure.” An article in the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology from 2024 reported that the war in Ukraine had caused more than $56.4 billion of damage to the environment, including contamination and landscape destruction and deforestation, all of which also threaten human health. And the United Nations has noted the “complete degradation of the soil, water, land and agriculture” in Gaza, which have led to 136,400 cases of diarrhoea among children under five.

Exploitation of minerals and other natural resources fuelled by greed leads to conflicts which further damage the environment. The Geneva Environment Network (2024) notes that “internal conflicts over the last 60 years have been linked to the exploitation of natural resources… such as timber, diamonds, gold and oil, or scarce resources such as fertile land and water,” and that conflicts involving natural resources are twice as likely to begin again.

In DR Congo, over 100 militias are involved in a conflict characterized by competition for natural resources, illegal mining, and land disputes leading to environmental degradation and biodiversity loss, from illegal logging and wildlife trading. But the conflict is not only geo-political but global, with the United States and China involved due to the abundant mineral deposits of Cobalt, Uranium, Copper, and Zinc among others.

From a Christian perspective, violence arising from moral depravity is a major contributor to climate change. Peacemaking and repentance can therefore contribute to a positive engagement with the environment. It is on account of our violence and sinfulness that creation mourns. To preach the gospel is to help undo the human corruption that is corrupting the environment, endangering us all, and as Paul says, making all of creation groan for deliverance.

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LITANY FOR THE ECOSYSTEM AND CESSATION OF WAR AND VIOLENCE THAT DESTROY THE EARTH

Minister: Beloved in the Lord, the Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth, has made us custodians of his creation, further calling us to be co-workers with him in this world. 
As depraved and fallen human beings, we have destroyed the good creation through unnecessary wars and violence.
Let us pray together, asking the Almighty God to bring to an end the hostilities raging on the earth today, destroying his beautiful work of creation.

Minister: The Voice of creation goes out into all the earth:
All: their words to the ends of the earth.

Minister: The heavens declare the Glory of God:
All: the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Minister: The heavens are the Lord’s:
All: and the earth he has given to us his children.

Minister: The Lord fashioned the earth:
All: God formed it to be inhabited;

Minister: The waters, even the vast seas and oceans are full of life: 
All: the air with the birds, and the land with animals of every kind.

Minister: We thank you for making us custodians of this marvellous work, O God.
All: We thank you, Lord.

Minister: From wars and violence that pollute the earth
People: Deliver your creation

Minister:  For you make wars to cease 
People: even to the ends of the earth; 

Minister: We beseech you, oh Lord the prince of peace
People: break the bows of war

Minister: We beseech you, oh Lord the prince of peace
People: shatter the warrior’s spear

Minister: We beseech you, oh Lord the prince of peace
People: burn with fire the chariots of war 

Minister: You who judge between the nations
People: Settle disputes for people and nations

Minister: May the people and nations turn their swords into ploughshares
People: Their spears into pruning hooks.

Minister: May the people and nations not take up sword against each other
People: And no more train for war.

Minister: Hear us oh Lord
People: Oh Lord hear us

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Interview