Weekly devotional: Mālama ‘āina – it’s our kuleana

May. 19, 2023

Contributed by KS Hawaiʻi senior Siddalee Amaral

Ka Ipu o Lono shares weekly devotionals to provide spiritual enrichment to members of the Kamehameha Schools ‘ohana. For more inspiration, visit the KS “Our faith” website.

Heluhelu Baibala
E nānā aku i nā manu o ka lewa; ʻaʻole lākou e lūlū hua, ʻaʻole hoʻi e ʻoki ʻai, ʻaʻole nō hoʻi e hoʻāhu aʻe i loko o nā hale papaʻa; a ua hānai ko ʻoukou Makua o ka lani iā lākou. ʻAʻole anei e ʻoi aku ko ʻoukou maikaʻi i ko lākou?- Mataio 6:26

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?- Matthew 6:26

He manaʻo o ka haumāna
There are times in life when everything may seem out of control. You broke up with your significant other, you failed a test, or you are mad at your best friend. There are times when you may feel hopeless, afraid, and alone. But you are never truly alone. With God in our lives, we have a companion to stick with us through thick and thin, and although we may not see him physically, his presence and spirit are always with us.

Everyone here has a purpose, everyone, and everything. I have a purpose; Kahu has a purpose; the teachers, students, faculty, and parents here all have a purpose; the little bugs flying around, and the birds outside have a purpose. Everyone and everything have a purpose, even though we might not know what it is yet. Now that that's established, I think it is important that we respect everyone's purpose. It's like the golden rule, treat everyone the way you want to be treated. But that shouldn’t end at just people, it should extend to the trees outside, the fish in the sea, and all of God's creations.

Matthew 6:26, says, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" This scripture explores the relationships that we have with all of God’s creations and what our purpose is. It is our job to respect not only each other but to care for the earth and all its inhabitants.

It is our kuleana to malama the ʻāina. This responsibility falls on every single one of us because it's not only God’s Earth but it's our home. So, I have a challenge for you all, pick up rubbish from the ground, recycle your bottles instead of throwing them in the trash, and think twice before you kill that bug, because just like us that bug has a purpose. In the end, we must work together to mālama our ʻāina so we can preserve and protect it for future generations.