Saving the world

Had lunch with Pastor E today. We talked about saving the world. About how we probably can’t, and that isn’t much the point anyway.

 

Sustainability

It’s a buzzword that gets tossed around a lot these days. So I decided to find out what it actually means, cos you know, I’m a word guy, right?

Some definitions that came up when I Googled the term:

• The characteristic of being able to coexist with another system indefinitely, without either system being damaged.
• The use of ecosystems and their resources in a manner that satisfies current needs without compromising the needs or options of future generations.
• Sustainable development: The concept of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

The definition that I had formed in my head using merely how I hear it used has been a fuzzy sort of ‘Living in a way that allows you to get along materially without ruining the planet in the process.’

 

What’s up?

So it’s been a little while since I posted last. I am going to use the holidays excuse. So here’s what’s been up lately…

 

What do you need?

Do Not Worry

5″Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look 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? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28″And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I think much of the damage we North Americans habitually do to the environment is because we don’t really listen to what Jesus is saying when he says ‘Do not worry’.

 

Genesis

Some thoughts on the first three chapters of Genesis.

 

Parables, storms, and pigs in the sea

I was reading Mark last night. I noticed a few things about Jesus.

 

Scriptures

If I’m going to do an honest inquiry about what it means to follow Jesus and be concerned for the environment, I’d better consider what Scripture has to say about creation. I’ll post some verses and comments soon.

 

What to do with the food issue…

The year we got married I started cultivating an interest in gardening. We planted a square foot garden a-la Mel Bartholomew. We tried salad greens, radishes, carrots and peas in a winter garden. Some of the veggies grew well but it was almost immediately apparent neither of us had any idea how to grow and harvest vegetables. So the radishes were hollow and bland, the lettuce bolted and got bitter, the peas never really produced more than a couple pods, the carrots were tiny and stunted, and the only plants that seemed to do really well were Swiss chard (which we decided we didn’t care for) and nasturtiums.

 

The environment: why should I care?

Given my assumption that God cares about his creation, I think I should care about it if only because he does, and as a Christ-follower who believes he is indwelt with the Holy Spirit, not caring is denying something about what God made me to be. (Forgive me for not getting into the theology about all that; basically I am saying that a Christ-follower not caring about God’s creation is just silly.) So my question is not really, ‘Should I care about the environment?’ but, ‘To what degree should I care about the environment?’

 

Some foundational things

First off I would like to lay a few foundational things. One is, what do I mean when I say ‘environment’? It’s a pretty broad word and it can mean a lot of things. Generally speaking, when I use it I am talking about the world God made. Plants, animals, rocks, air, seas, sky, sun, moon, stars, what have you.

Second, I want to state for the record that I believe that God created the environment. I could care less if he did it in six days or six gazillion years, the only thing that is important to me is that he made it. And he made you and me. Since he made it and us, I think it’s clear that he means for us to interact with and relate to the environment.

Third, I am going to presume that God cares about the things he makes very much, and therefore he cares about the environment and he cares about us. I would also like to present the assumption that he cares whether we care about the environment and about each other, and for that matter, about him.