Refine Circularity: A Steward's Purpose

Today, on my birthday, I'm compelled to share something deeply personal: the fruitfulness of humanity and the Earth. A guiding principle for me comes from Genesis 1:28, reiterated in Genesis 9:1-3: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs."

God's creation unfolded with specific purposes, timelines, and patterns for each element. However, on the sixth day, the pattern shifted with the creation of humankind. God employed a unique strategy, forming us in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). He formed us, breathed life into us, and uniquely made us, granting us freedom of choice alongside a divine purpose. While all animals possess a soul, when God breathed into man, man became a living soul. This is confirmed in Job 32:8: "But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding." Just as He blessed humanity through Adam, He reiterated this blessing through Noah after the flood: "be fruitful, fill up the Earth, multiply, subdue, and dominate." It's essential to remember that everything was created by Him, through Him, and for Him, before He entrusted dominion over the Earth to humanity.

As I reflect on our collective purpose, I want to emphasize not our individual paths, but our stewardship of the Earth. This encompasses our relationships with one another, with every living thing that fills the Earth, with the Earth and its produce, and with its landforms and waters.

The Fabric of Relationships and Alignment

Relationships: Everything on Earth is designed to thrive through relationships, and the richness of these connections hinges on nurturing them. We constantly devise new terms to awaken ourselves to truths we've chosen to forget or ignore.

Alignment: Everything on Earth operates within boundaries, modes of operation, zones, timelines, and inherent patterns.

Current research paints a stark picture: if our behaviors don't change by 2050, we face a significant crisis. We're now striving to repair the damage we've inflicted over the years, to rescue the very Earth we were initially given to govern.

The Five Pillars of Circularity I embrace

I want to leave you with a reminder, deeply embedded in creation, that circularity is a responsibility for every citizen and every system that sustains us – households, societies, and organizations alike. Life is a give and take, as are our relationships with ourselves, with creation, and with the Earth. Ponder these five key principles and consider the role each of us can play:

• Think Responsible: As Mahatma Gandhi wisely stated, "Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.” This challenges us to consume consciously and with restraint.

• Think Accountability: Ban Ki-moon eloquently connects the dots: "Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth… these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women’s empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.” Our actions have interconnected consequences, and we are accountable for them.

• Think Abundance: Mohith Agadi reminds us, “Environment is no one’s property to destroy; it’s everyone’s responsibility to protect.” The Earth's resources are a shared inheritance, not to be exploited but to be safeguarded for all.

• Think Sustainability: Evo Morales offers a powerful perspective: “Sooner or later, we will have to recognise that the Earth has rights, too, to live without pollution. What mankind must know is that human beings cannot live without Mother Earth, but the planet can live without humans.” True sustainability acknowledges the Earth's inherent rights and its capacity to thrive independently of our destructive patterns.

• Think Generational: Theodore Roosevelt's warning resonates deeply: “To waste, to destroy our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them amplified and developed.” Our legacy is determined by how we manage the Earth for future generations.

  
  

May these reflections inspire us all to embrace our steward purpose and contribute to a more fruitful and sustainable future for our planet. What aspect of our stewardship resonates most with you?