Sermons & Reflections

Each year, from 1st September to 4th October, the Church invites us into the Season of Creation — a sacred time to reflect on the gift of the earth and our shared responsibility to protect it. It is a season of prayer, hope and action, uniting Christians across the world in care for our common home. We are reminded that creation is not a possession to exploit, but a gift to cherish. The times we live in, however, show that we are not relating to the Earth as a gift from our Creator, but rather as a resource to be used and exploited. It is in this light that St. Paul in his letter to the Romans pictures the Earth as a Mother, groaning as in childbirth (Rom 8:22). Francis of Assisi also understood this when he referred to the Earth as our sister and our mother in his Canticle of Creatures. In Ghana, the cry of creation is also heard loudly through the destructive practice of galamsey. The term “galamsey,” derived from the phrase “gather them and sell,” refers to illegal small-scale gold mining. Armed with rudimentary tools or, in some cases, heavy machinery, miners dig into the earth, polluting rivers with mercury and cyanide, felling forests, and leaving behind gaping pits where fertile farmland once lay. This is not just an environmental issue; it is a grave moral crisis. The effects of galamsey are devastating. Rivers such as the Pra, Offin, and Ankobra, which were once sources of life for drinking, fishing, and farming, have become poisoned streams of death. Communities that depend on these waters now face diseases, hunger, and displacement. Forests that sheltered God’s creatures are reduced to wastelands, and once-rich soils no longer yield food to feed the poor. The destruction threatens not only the present but the very future of our children, depriving them of their inheritance. Lives are lost in frequent mining accidents, while whole communities are robbed of their dignity by the greed of a few. In Ghana today, our mother earth indeed groans under the weight of galamsey, and the cry of the poor rises with it. The Season of Creation calls us to repentance — to turn away from practices that harm the earth and destroy life. Galamsey is not merely an economic shortcut; it is a sin against creation, against our neighbour, and ultimately against God, who entrusted this world to our care. Nevertheless, the Christian vision is always one of hope. To hope, in the biblical sense, is not to remain passive, but to act with courage for renewal. Just as new life comes after the groans of childbirth, so too can we bring healing by protecting our rivers, restoring our forests, and rejecting destructive mining practices. Each of us has a role: to resist the temptation of quick gain, to advocate for sustainable livelihoods, to raise awareness, and to pray fervently for the healing of our land. As we mark this Season of Creation, may we listen deeply to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. Let us join our voices and actions in saying "NO" to galamsey and "YES" to life. In doing so, we honor our Creator, safeguard our common home, and bear witness to the Gospel of love and justice. “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1). May we never forget this truth, and may our actions reflect our faith.