“This is something that shouldn’t be [treated] leisurely…,” Eunice opines. “If we choose not to do anything to take care of our planet it will harm the environment and threaten animal existence. We have to take care of the planet and the animals God has created!”
(Eunice showing her reusable containers)
Eunice Goh, 16-year-old, echoes the thoughts of many in her generation today. Sustainability and environmental conservation movements have been mounting on our local shores and today’s youths are leading the forefront. (https://www.channelnewsasia.com/brandstudio/youthsggreenplan)
Pastor Lam Kuo Yung, senior pastor at Katong Presbyterian Church also noted this particular interest of Christian youths. “When I speak at conferences [on this topic], those who come are young people.” Pastor Lam’s church explicitly addresses this concern by including ‘Caretakers of the Earth’ as one of the church’s key values.
As SYFC stays geared to the times, we are curious to find out more about what is driving our young people to pay attention to sustainability concerns.
Pastor Lam reflects, “By nature of their age, they have the capacity to think about their future. Those who are older have little capacity to because we are too busy thinking about the now and/or we know we won’t get to see the future.” In addition, Eunice highlights the effect of the digital age on her peers. “Social media platforms are places where communities advocating for different things are formed. Thus, youths show an increasing interest in climate change and sustainability due to the continuous coverage and connectivity of the world.” Lastly, Jack Yam, founder of @themidnightgardener and an administrator of the Urban Farmers (Singapore) Facebook Group, also pondered the effects of COVID-19 on our youths. He shares, “Many of the forests are rejuvenating and people are experiencing cleaner and fresher air. Youths can see it for themselves.”
Pastor Lam highlights how taking care of our environment is not just in line with living out our original call in Genesis to be good stewards, it is also a natural outworking of loving our neighbours. This is because a lifestyle that damages the environment has implications for those living in developing countries – they suffer the consequences of climate change without means of alleviation.
On another note, our youths’ keen interest in sustainability presents unique opportunities to share the gospel with them. “This is one connection point Christians should have with non-Christians. [Afterall,] there are not many common interests between Christians and Non-Christians,” Pastor Lam shares. This is precisely the bridge Jack’s urban farming has given him to relate with youths. During the school holidays, he organised a mini workshop for a small group of youths in his neighbourhood. As he taught them how to grow pea shoots, Jack intentionally brought in the idea of God as Creator. “The seed reflects an intelligent design by a God,” Jack had shared with them. “Plants and trees don’t just appear out of nowhere.”
As our young people press into being thoughtful about their faith and their world, let us grasp this precious connection to the gospel with them as we work out our own faith in our daily lives.
