The CSI Parish (Malayalam) Dubai observed Sunday, 11th June as Environment Sunday.
During the Holy Communion Service, Rev. Raju Jacob, our vicar, delivered the sermon based on the theme "Creation groans for liberation" ("We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.") In his message, Achen mentioned that wilful disobedience created disorder in the universe. God came down to this earth to make order in the desolate world and redeem the whole creation. He also quoted Bishop Zacharias of the Marthoma Church who once said "When you leave a place, leave it a little better", thus emphasizing our role as responsible citizens to protect our Environment.
June 5th is observed as World Environment Day*, globally. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and held annually on 5 June since 1973, World Environment Day is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people across the world. The theme for World Environment Day on 5 June 2023 focussed on solutions to plastic pollution under the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution.
The world is being inundated by plastic. More than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year, half of which is designed to be used only once. Of that, less than 10 per cent is recycled. An estimated 19-23 million tonnes end up in lakes, rivers and seas. Today, plastic clogs our landfills, leaches into the ocean and is combusted into toxic smoke, making it one of the gravest threats to the planet. `World Environment Day 2023 was hosted by Côte d'Ivoire in partnership with the Netherlands and showcased how countries, businesses and individuals are learning to use the material more sustainably, offering hope that one day, plastic pollution will be history.
The CSI Parish (Malayalam) Dubai acknowledges its responsibility to preserve the environment, which is God’s gift to us. We as God’s special creation, are given the responsibility to care for nature in a way that is consistent with God’s will. We have an exclusive Green Parish page on our Church website focusing on ecological awareness. (http://www.csidubai.com/environmental-care). The Church of South India is the only Indian Church to have incorporated Ecology as one of its missions in the Church Constitution.
Video of the sermon is available here : youtube-sermon-11Jun23
*Adapted from : worldenvironmentalday