He's done it to me again!
Brian McLaren has totally changed the way I see the world and read Scripture. Since hearing him speak and reading Everything Must Change, my whole perspective has changed.
I'm more aware of the environment than I ever have. I'm sitting in Taco Bell thinking of all the waste that's generated with the wraps, cups, lids, straws, etc. from fast food. I think, what if every fast food restaurant had recycling stations instead of trash receptacles?
I'm reading about the high price of gas, and reading comments from people who think we should go drill for more oil no matter what the cost to the environment, because we Americans have a "right" to cheap gas. One commenter even said that high gas prices would lead to the extinction of the human race. But high gas prices are reducing consumption (according to this week's Business Week magazine), and therefore, reducing waste, which could be the REAL cause of human extinction. And Americans are finding ways to reduce consumption of other goods to pay for their gas, and turning in their gas guzzling SUVs and buying fuel-efficient vehicles. I can't believe I'm saying this, but if reducing consumption and waste means I have to pay a higher price for gas, then I'm willing to shell out the money. I even wrote a letter to the local paper saying essentially that.
We were reading Isaiah 5 in Sunday Bible study class. The class was discussing the "woes" verses. The question was, what were the sins of the people? Some responses were drunkeness, taking bribes, etc. I look at those verses and saw something else. I saw sins of over-consumption, hoarding wealth, inequality, and injustice. I spoke up and pointed this out to the class.
It's like I've heard a secret, the secret message of Jesus, and too few have heard it. I'm trying to share it. I hope someone is listening.
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3 comments:
Very cool Tom. I have recently decided to try and be a vegetarian. I haven't thought it through well yet, but I think that we don't have the right to mass produce/kill animals just because we want to eat them all the time. It's not so much about us! And it is about being one and at peace with God's creation.
Tom:
We purposely chose to live downtown, so we could walk to the schools, church, park and the banks.
In our town, a lot occurs downtown, so my vehicle stays parked quite abit.
Even yesterday, when I had my breakfast meeting - up north; 2.5 miles. I walked there and carved the extra time into my schedule on the front end and back end.
I don't know if I could be a vegetarian. I love a good steak, and it's grilling season. And seafood - I would really miss shrimp and lobster, and especially the calamari at Buca's.
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