I am very pleased that the Methodist Church BVI Circuit is taking its responsibility for stewardship of the environment seriously and has launched its Environmental Stewardship Programme for February 2025. I welcome the project and urge everyone to get involved.

The programme caused me to spare a few moments to revisit my book This Land: A Trust from God. I was amazed that what I’d written some 25 years ago is still so applicable to the current environment situation and issues in our land.

The book suggested various initiatives for the protection and preservation of our environment: better position unsightly garbage bins; abate noise pollution; introduce no-litter signs and fines; prevent soil and culture erosion; get children involved; rid the environs of derelict vehicles; look towards solar power and green cemeteries; and much more.

Green VI has been tackling several of the above via green initiatives, and I applaud them and urge the community to support all their efforts.

More to be done

However, below are some excerpts from my book to remind us of our obligation to preserving the environment.

  • “The land and everything within it make up the environment. … It does not belong to us. It belongs to God. We hold it in trust from God, for ‘the Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof (Psalms 24:1).’ We must therefore exercise good stewardship over it. Indeed, the Bible has careful concern for preserving the land … as an allotted heritage” (page 16).
  • “We are therefore challenged to do all we can to leave the earth in better condition than we found it for future generations. The volume seeks to bring awareness of and commitment to our personal and collective commitment and responsibility for the protection and preservation of the environment and our God-given duties towards the world around us” (page 16).
  • “I can think of no better form of personal involvement than that of gardening. A person who is growing a garden, if it is done organically, is improving a piece of the world” (page 67).
  • “May we find the grace and fortitude to protect the God-given land” (page 71).
  • “The immediate focus should be on improving our public and private spaces for our own well-being, for our own civic and national pride, and to support our claim of ‘being the most beautiful spot on earth.’”
  • “We would not want visitors and tourists to run away due to the untidiness, uncleanliness and unpleasantness of our spaces” (page 77).