“God saw that it was good”.

This is how the writer of the book of Genesis described the earth at the time of its creation. (Genesis, chapter 1, verse 31.)

I will always remember the glowing eyes and excitement of a teenager rushing back to tell us of the outstanding view she had just discovered by forging ahead on a school trip to Box Hill in Surrey.

Similarly, I remember our own children’s enjoyment of what they called their “idyllic spot” in North Wales where a stream gurgled through the greenery.

They also saw that it was good.

But everyone’s help is needed to keep it that way. Our modern life-style means so many items come in wrappings and containers.

These are all too easily discarded just where they are used, littering the environment around us — drink cans, take-away trays, cigarette ends and their packaging and more.

The danger is that we fail to notice that litter is everywhere.

The challenge is that it need not be like that.

If enough of us put in our small effort at clearing up, we could make a difference.

Already there are active street tidying groups in Altrincham, Bowdon, Hale, Timperley and Sale. Their efforts are frequently highlighted in this newspaper, photos of volunteers of all ages, standing by the bags of litter they have collected.

It is a world-wide problem.

I read this week of tonnes of rubbish being air-lifted from the base camp on Mount Everest.

The internationally supported World Women’s Day of Prayer service this year was written by Christians from Suriname.

Caring for the environment and cleaning up was a major theme.

On a bitterly cold March evening, representatives from five local churches acted out this idea at All Saints Church, Hale Barns.

“God saw that it was good”, and we can all play our part in keeping it so.

Ruth Neal

Altrincham Inter-faith Group and Churches together in Hale.