 Coptic Orthodox Church, Father Anthony Murad. David the psalmist was a man who marveled at the world and saw the glory of God revealed in it. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork, he says in Psalm 19. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord, he says again in Psalm 33. David also recognizes in himself a calling to bring all of creation to worship God. He speaks as if he were a mediator between God and creation. In his joyful song of praise in Psalm 96, David calls not only all men to praise God, but all the earths. He says, let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad, let the sea roar and all its fullness, let the field be joyful and all that is in it. Again, in Psalm 148, he details several aspects of creation and calls them all to praise the Lord. David understood his role in creation and he not only saw God in all that was created, but he also involved all of creation with him in worship. And today, more than ever, we need to become more like David, the prophet and the king. The great danger that we face today is that there seems to be a general lack of compassion and no real sense of urgency regarding the abuse of the earth. Humanity was originally created by God, not only to know him, but also as we see in Genesis 2.15, to tend and to keep the gift of creation that the Lord had given to both Adam and Eve. It is for this very reason that the church has always had a real sense of ownership and accountability towards all of creation. In the Coptic Orthodox Liturgical Prayers, we have a dedicated litany that dates back to the very early church, where we pray for every aspect of creation, the air of the heaven, the fruits of the earth, the waters, the rivers, the seeds, the herbs, the plants. In another set of prayers, we remember all creatures that fly that are in the waters from the largest of cattle, all the way to the smallest of insects. The reasoning for this is that we have never forgotten our role in creation, that the Lord has entrusted humanity to take what he has given us as a free gift and to offer it back to him, to tend and to keep it. It is for this reason that we see climate change as a spiritually and morally urgent matter because we cannot disregard the commandment of God to tend and to keep his creation. We cannot be bystanders and simply watch as the earth fades away, as animals go extinct and as we render the earth uninhabitable for future generations. We have a God-given responsibility to pray and to act now in favor of the protection of the earth. And on this earth day, we must commit to playing a more active role in the protection of what the Lord has given us in his creation. This can be done by supporting foundations that are active in protecting the earth and wildlife. We can bring awareness to the urgency of addressing climate change by educating both ourselves and others. And we can also choose to simply live less wastefully, to be content and making healthier and more conscious decisions in our everyday consumptions. And finally, just that the church has taught us, we must pray for the earth and for all of creation. And in so doing, we involve God who is the creator and author of all the beauty this world offers us. To him be all glory, forever and ever. Amen, for the love of all creation.