We know that water is essential to all life on earth. In fact, human beings can only live for three days without water.
Yet, I think most of us take water for granted. We expect water to come out of our taps when we turn them on. We may experience some dry weather in summer in Wisconsin, but for the most part we have plenty of water to meet our needs.
Sometimes when I’m driving home in the evening, I am treated to a panoramic view of the sunset on the west side of Madison.
The vibrant colors of red and gold in the sky are amazing. It prompts me to say a quick prayer of thanksgiving to God for the beauty of our world.
Unfortunately, it’s a world we often take for granted. And if we don’t start paying more attention, we might not be able to enjoy this beautiful world as much in the future.
To remind us to pay attention, Pope Francis in 2015 declared September 1 as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. He joined the Orthodox Church in this practice, something that Church has done since 1989.
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Just think about it. According to the United Nations, approximately 1.2 billion people live in extreme poverty throughout the world.
Clean water and sanitation, adequate nutritious food, a safe job with fair pay, an education, medical care, and a decent place to call home are unfulfilled dreams to these brothers and sisters of ours.
Every day they must somehow find a way to survive on less than $1.25. Even in the poorest countries, it is almost impossible to live on this meager amount. And in fact, many do not make it.
Every day approximately 21,000 fellow human beings die from hunger and hunger related diseases. And according to the United Nations Children’s Fund, some 300 million children go to bed hungry every night.
