On Sunday, April 19, 47 people attended a conference in honour of Earth Day hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in collaboration with the Victoria Multifaith Society and the Multifaith Summit Council of BC.

The program featured panelists Dr. Rick Kool (Jewish), Dr Kala Singh (Sikh), Dr Anneli Driessen (Metaphysical), Jim Flood (Baha’í), Rukhsan Butt (Muslim, photo), Priyanka Singh (Sanatan), Kelly Urarii (Christian) and Onkar Hans (Hindu). It was followed by refreshments in the Cultural Hall.

The wide diversity of the 7-minute presentations reflected the colour and individuality of the faiths and the speakers. But several common threads in spiritual teachings were apparent in the remarks: the obligation of human beings to be kind; that turning away from spirituality and allowing greed causes us to pollute the Earth, the sacred creation of God; that the nature of our thoughts causes material outcomes; that reverence, gratitude, balance, moderation and care should guide us; that waste, corruption, excess and war harm us both morally and physically. Since all creation is pervaded by the divine, our actions should reflect reverence and respect; children are taught to take in a principled way, always giving back.