If you’ve been one of the enthusiasts
following developments in space and space travel, then you might have seen the six women aboard the Blue Origin spacecraft . They left our planet for space, spent 10 minutes there, and returned; looking amazed and almost transformed by what they had just experienced.
You know, we could attempt to travel to any place outside this planet—but really, Earth is the only home we know. It’s the home with our waters, our friends, our families, our work, and our dreams. We can't ignore the importance of taking
care of it. Where else would we go? Mars? Ask NASA's Perseverance and Curiosity rovers what the oxygen is like there. Or ask astronauts how much preparation it takes to survive in space. This is our home, and we must protect it.
But what do Earth and Easter have in common? I wouldn’t dare try to explain that fully, but I encourage you to ask our Chaplin Dr. John Pozhathuparambil (Father John) and hear his thoughts. He might talk about the Laudato Si’ Action Plan, and how it calls on all of us to care for our Earth and leave it better than we found it. He might also speak of Palm Sunday and its connection to the Earth.
Growing up as a child in Ghana, one of my favorite times of year was the Easter holiday and the events leading up to it. There is a belief within Christianity that, a week before Easter, Christ entered Jerusalem in an event known as the Triumphal
Entry, while people sang 'Hosanna' and laid palm branches before Him.
For those of us in towns, cities, and villages in Ghana, we would cut down palm fronds, make beautiful bouquets, decorate them with flowers, and even build Easter huts out of the palm branches where we played until our parents came searching for us.
But guess what? If you walk through the streets of Accra or my childhood neighborhood in Kumasi today, you won’t see children building Easter huts. Why? Because we don’t have palm trees in abundance anymore. We either cut and didn’t
replace them or we built in several of the places, leaving no green spaces.
So, as you take a holiday to spend time with family—whether you celebrate Easter or not—just think about what you used to enjoy as a child that, due to environmental damage, isn’t part of life anymore? What can you do to support nature
this Earth Day and always? Can you pick up litter so plastic does not clog our waterways? Can you bring back the sweet melodies of birds by planting trees and shrubs? Can you find alternative ways to treat your lawn to bring back biodiversity to our
urban and suburban spaces? Can you join a community event in honor of Earth Day?
This year, Earth Day is on April 22nd, with the theme “Our Power, Our Planet.”
How will you use the power you have to make a difference for our planet?
Happy Easter from the Sustainability Desk.
Esther Awovi Akafia
eakafia@bellarmine.edu
https://www.bellarmine.edu/sustainability/