The Bible declares, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters”— (Psalm 24:1, 2).1
Respected Principal, Beloved Teachers, and my dear Friends,
Lend me your ears; and close your eyes for a moment. As you open them again, let me call your attention to the beautiful blue and white jewel that spins its way in space around the sun. The Earth we live in, God-designed perfectly for human life.
The atmosphere, land and water where countless number of birds fly, animals live, and fishes swim; provide this earth with an ecosystem unmatched and unparalleled in the entire known universe.
The brown soil, the deep blue oceans and the vast endless skies, the snow-capped majesty of the towering mountains, the greenery of the vegetation, the beauty and the fragrance of the flowers:
On this earth live Men and Women, the crown of God’s creation. But all is not well. The News is bad. Earth is reeling under pressure of Man’s greed and selfishness and thoughtlessness. Tomorrow looks bleak.
Pollution is the main villain. It comes in all forms. Air, water, food; all are contaminated. Plastics, pesticides, fossil fuels; all contribute to the problem. Once upon a time, if it was the green trees that dotted the landscape; now in its place have risen skyscrapers. Deforestation has spelled disaster.
On the one side are natural calamities and disasters. Tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes all create havoc. Scorching heat at times, torrential rains that flood on other occasions; life is becoming more and more unpredictable. Clean drinkable water sources are fast disappearing and we are buying water in plastic bottles.
The debris that is dumped into the oceans is disturbing marine life too; while the debris we have left behind in space as an aftermath of space exploration programmes also will create trouble in coming years.
Who or what is to be blamed? Certainly, man’s selfishness and his greed and exploitation of natural resources.
Without doubt; climate change, global warming, emission of greenhouse gases, damage to ecosystems, rising sea levels are all matters of great concern. Not to mention the threat of a nuclear warfare, and possible takeover of the human race by robots empowered by Artificial Intelligence!
Will some debris from outer space hit the earth in future?
Will the earth reel under its impact?
Will human life survive?
Will the earth survive?
Will it handle the population explosion that is predicted?
Or is population explosion just a myth?
Is it just maldistribution of resources that is the problem?
My dear friends, life is not going to be easy in the coming years. Not all problems can be solved. But we can certainly make an honest attempt. It is the fruit of trees planted by our forefathers that we enjoy today. So, we owe our next generations a generous giving that they too may have a chance to live life with dignity.
The change will not begin in international summits; it can begin only in the backyard of our homes. There is something you alone can do. Do not wait for others to do it. Let life continue; for there is no other planet which sustains life in the entire universe. We have been gifted this earth as our home!
Inter-stellar and inter-galactic missions, Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan will continue. But let us not forget our earth; our home where we live and move and have our being. We bear the imprint of the dust of the earth but have in us the breath of heaven. Let us not forget that!
So friends, let us make a brave effort to preserve something of the beauty and richness of our Planet Earth for the next generations. Thank you.
“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.”
— Isaiah 65:17 Bible (NIV 1984).
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”
— Revelation 21:1 Bible (NIV 1984).
1NIV 1984
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