Chaplain's Reflections

David Attenborough's A Life on Our Planet is a must-see. Attenborough gives us a glimpse of how our planet has changed during his 94 years and maintains that the true tragedy "is still unfolding, barely noticeable from day to day: the loss of biodiversity".

The destruction of rainforests of Borneo, the habitat of the orangutans, is particularly upsetting. "Orangutan mothers have to spend 10 years with their young, teaching them which fruits are worth eating. Without this training, they would not complete their role in dispersing seeds, and the future generation of many trees would be at risk," says Attenborough.

If changes continue at this rate, he notes that by 2100, the world would be almost four degrees warmer and a sixth mass extinction would be underway.

In the last half hour, Attenborough outlines what we can do to reverse the damage and he reminds us that "if we take care of nature, nature will take care of us". There will be no silver bullet to solve this crisis, but there is hope that nature will heal and restore if we give it the urgent attention it needs.

Carla A. Grosch-Miller's version of Psalm 8, in Psalms Redux: poems and prayers, provides a prayer for the way forward:

"O God, how we have maligned and misinterpreted You – placing ourselves above all creation, commandeering the helm that we might control and use for our own comfort and convenience. Forgive us, and restore us to our senses, that we might see and sense and know and love all that is and all that can be. May our reverence for You be manifest in our reverence for all of life. May our wakeful listening penetrate the earth and reach towards the heavens. May our bold tenderness overcome our ignorance and enable wise action. For this life is a wonder. You have gifted us with all we need – beauty and bounty, word and wisdom, courage and companionship."