By Kansiime Rosette Hannah | Humanity’s Betrayal of Nature | November 08, 2025
Hannah, a young voice from our Laudato Si Club of Nyakasura School reflects about what she learnt from their discussion on indigenous wisdom; the ancient bond between humanity and creation and calls us to rekindle the love we have forgotten. Inspired by Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, she invites us to restore our friendship with the Earth through reverence, simplicity, and care.
Once Upon a Time, There Was Harmony
Once upon a time, humanity and the environment lived as lovers in perfect harmony.
The rivers sang lullabies to the forests, the winds whispered secrets to the mountains, and man walked gently upon the earth, grateful for her gifts.
It was a relationship built on mutual respect and balance.
Creation gave freely clean air, fertile soil, fresh water, and abundant life and in return, humankind protected her, honored her, and lived within her rhythms.
When Love Turned into Lust
But as time passed and the world spun forward, something changed.
The human heart grew restless. The simple joys of harmony no longer satisfied; the thirst for more — more land, more wealth, more power — took hold.
Nature, ever patient and ever giving, continued to offer her bounty, hoping humanity would remember the sacred bond. Yet, love turned into lust.
• Forests were cut down not for shelter, but for profit.
• The earth was mined not for survival, but for greed.
• Rivers were polluted not by accident, but by negligence.
• The skies were filled with smoke in the pursuit of progress without pause.
The environment wept in silence. Her glaciers melted like tears, her animals vanished like forgotten memories, and her seasons grew erratic — as if her heart were breaking.
Creation’s Enduring Love
Despite the abuse, creation never stopped loving humanity.
She continued to give sunlight to warm us, rain to nourish our crops, and beauty to inspire our souls.
She waited, hoping we would notice her pain, hoping we would remember the love we once shared.
But humanity was distracted: eyes fixed on screens, hands on machines, minds on conquest. Convenience was mistaken for happiness; consumption for fulfillment.
The relationship became one-sided. Nature still loved us, but we had forgotten how to love her back.
The Possibility of Healing
Yet all is not lost. Love even when wounded can be healed.
The bond between humanity and creation can still be restored, if only we choose repentance and renewal.
We can begin by embracing five paths of hope:
1. Relearn Reverence: Teach children to love the earth not as a resource, but as a living, breathing companion. Let them know the names of trees, the songs of birds,
and the stories of rivers.
2. Live Lightly: Choose simplicity. Reduce waste, reuse what we can, and recycle what we must. Let sustainability become our way of life.
3. Protect What Remains: Defend forests, wetlands, oceans, and wildlife. Support leaders and policies that place creation at the heart of progress.
4. Give Back: Plant trees, clean rivers, and restore the habitats we have destroyed. Let our hands heal what our hands have harmed.
5. Listen: Pay attention to the signs the rising temperatures, the dying species, the extreme weather. Creation is speaking; it is time we listened.
A Love that Still Endures
Even now, the environment continues to offer life, beauty, and wonder.
But love cannot survive if it is not returned.
It is time for humanity to remember the vows we made long ago to cherish, to protect, and to live in harmony.
Let us not be the generation that broke her heart beyond repair.
Let us be the ones who said, “I am sorry,” and meant it.
Let us be the ones who loved her back.
Because in the end, saving the environment is not only about survival, it is about rekindling a love story that was always meant to last.
About the Author
Kansiime Rosette Hannah is a member of the Laudato Si’ Club at Nyakasura School, Uganda. She writes as part of a personal commitment to raise voices for creation, to promote ecological awareness and faith-inspired action in response to Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. Read more about the work of her club in the school.
