What does it mean to be a good person? A good person is a good steward of himself, his neighbors, and his environment. Personal motivations to take care of others may come from different sources, such as higher beings, moral teachings, and beliefs. Nevertheless, their philosophies merge into universal ethical principles such as human dignity, social justice, the common good, and shared well-being.
Religions lay down the foundations and methodologies of being a good person. They give people the whys and the hows of proper stewardship. Spirituality complements science by providing moral basis on its ethical use. For instance, science explores the potentials of nuclear science and engineering, but it is religion that tells us that nuclear weapons should not be an option to its applications.
Religions also ground humanity with the world: Judaism allots a Sabbath day to connect with their god and nature, as well as reflect on their actions; indigenous peoples revere nature as similar as humans, celebrating their oneness and interconnectedness; these are just few of the examples.
And while there are outpouring conflicts on the interpretation of the physical and spiritual realm, only religions give answers on our reasons for existence. They differ in interpretation most of the time, but all are rooted to becoming good stewards.
Now this is a personal Eureka moment: that the complexity of Sustainable Development would require a deep understanding on faith and religion to achieve. Hinduism’s rebirth belief is a perfect example. People should “utilize today’s resources without compromising tomorrow’s needs” because they are also the ones to inhabit it in the future.
More so, the sustainable development goals were developed with collaborations from various religious groups to define the universal ethical principles. Pope Francis’s Laudato Si was a key driver of such conversations because it laid the moral foundations of the SDGs, regardless of religion. Thus, in another perspective, the sustainable development goals are results of ethics in action.
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