In his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’ call is for us to undergo an ecological conversion. This is something deeper than simply a call for us to recycle more and reduce our carbon footprint.

If we look at the teachings of Jesus, we find that the word ‘conversion’ has more to do with an ongoing process than a one-off event: it is a process of transforming our hearts and minds, leading to deep and authentic changes in living and behaviour. This is the metanoia mentioned in the New Testament. Changing our mind can be hard enough, let alone changing our heart—the source of our decisions, passions and motivations. Yet this call to deep and lasting change, to metanoia, is an essential part of Christian prayer and spirituality (and heart spirituality in particular) because this process determines how we live and act in the world. We can be filled with good intentions, positive thoughts and honest ideas, while at the same time lacking the motivation to effect the changes we are seeking. If we are to address today’s ecological crises, a deeper conversion is necessary.

The ecological crises we find ourselves in today is ultimately an expression of a deeper problem that lies within:

The external deserts of the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast. (Benedict XVI, quoted in LS 217)

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