Our current political system lives in extremes. We are divided in halves by television news and opinion shows and current political trends. It seems like every day we are forced into the ideals of one camp or the other, when in truth if we weren't all forced to answer questions worded with absolutist and pejorative language, we might even find that the middle isn't such a bad place, if only we were allowed to live in the middle conversation would aid growth, the temperament of conservatism with the action oriented nature of liberalism.
I remember as a child and through college hearing the phrase, “All things in moderation.” Growing up with a conservative Christian heritage this phrase was often saved for drinking alcohol or eating chocolate. Ever mindfully we didn't want to slip away into a side that was too restrictive or too permissive. Even conservatives Christians will find themselves rolling their eyes when it comes to the statements of extremists.
It was important to start with that simple introduction to move into my next topic. I fear often we have halted helpful dialogue in the fear of being alienated from our most extreme brothers and sisters. Growth is stunted by both sides when only one opinion matters. In the rest of this post I am going to offer my views of environmentalism and current trends while offering the “Whys” involved in making my ecologically based decisions.
I feel I must warn readers though, I recycle even though there is no local governmental mandate for it in my small Mississippi town. I choose to save my recyclables and drop them off at a local collection center in my daily travels. I also recycle my organic waste in an indoor vermicomposting bin. If you have read my blog you know that is a composting system using a tropical red worm. I use reusable shopping bags, and am careful about the things I bring into my apartment that will have to go out to a landfill. Now that I recycle my aluminum and tin, plastic, paper, and organic material, I have cut my weekly trash output to almost 50 percent. I no longer get bag when buying a soda and candybar at a gas station and I shop at local thrift stores. And having said all that I would still not make a good eco activist, the extremists would raise their noses at me and walk on. It is also important to say that many anti-climate change folk would come in and tell me I am wasting my time and not being beneficial to anyone.
So one important question both camps would first want an answer to before I was allowed in is, “Do you believe in Climate change/ Global Warming?” Neither side would like my answer which is: I don't know, maybe, maybe not. The fact is I am not a scientist. I like science, I think it is fun and beneficial to all mankind for moving forward into a better age but beyond that I don't have the education to critique it one way or the other. However, every time I drive into Memphis and the digital sign over interstate says, “Smog warning, don't roll down your windows,” I am taken aback. I also have to admit it is strange to say we are not effecting our environment when I can't eat fish out of either the Mississippi River or the Ohio River because of industrial pollutants. Obviously humans effect the environment, just ask the fish swimming around what is lovingly called “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” you know the island of plastic debris bigger than Texas in the Pacific Ocean. Personally I have to admit that, pictures of this patch encouraged me to take a more active role in dealing with my own trash. So what do I say to all this as a Theologian and a Dollar store Philosopher? I don't know if Al Gore is right, I don't know if the anti-Gore's are right, and though the information seems compelling
I will answer a different question and ignore climate change all together.
What's God's intended role for me on this Earth? Genesis starts with a strong and wonderful story that we often waylay because we'd rather talk about Evolution and Creation. The writer speaks so wonderfully about this world and God's intention for it. The story culminates in God's greatest creation, within whose hands he leaves creation.
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” - Genesis 1:28 KJV
But then the Fall came and we were relieved of that.
"And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.” -Genesis 9:1-3
A little different than the first but the basic stuff is still there. The Earth was placed under the charge of humanity. The Psalmist says that, “The heaven's declare the glory of God.”
When I signed the lease of my apartment I paid a deposit. If the apartment is in good shape when I leave the deposit and a reference is given to me. If the apartment is in bad shape, I get neither the money or a reference. All my life I have been told that humanity became stewards of creation. Admittedly this most often came up in relation to taking up a collection on Sunday but the world would be mentioned too. I was asked too many times to count whether or not I was being a good steward if the gifts God has given to me. We like to focus on money, but in the end that is something we created, even if it is necessary, it is OUR creation. This world, is God's and I should treat it as such. I believe this world was spun into existence by the hands of a loving God. I believe the heavens still declare his glory, but smog does not. This world was created by a divine hand and should be treated as such.
I have to admit eco-nuts drive me crazy, and so do anti-eco nuts. I don't understand how anyone can look at the devastation of this planet to make our lives easier a good thing. And yes there is devastation. I have already mentioned the island of plastic waste in the pacific, over fishing that is causing entire species' of animals to die out. God left all this in our hands, we rule over them, so why do we ignore our accountability to God for them? The burning of Fossil Fuels cause smog, solar and wind does not. Does that mean we can't use Fossil Fuels. I believe like the rest of the world they are a gift. But we need to be responsible with our gifts. So lets use them, because right now we have to, but to ignore other fuel sources that are cleaner, that is just stupid. I believe we can come up with a way to burn coal and oil cleanly, we went to the moon, I mean we are pretty smart people. We can also use solar, wind, and hydro to offset them so we should.
My decision does not rest on whether or not we are causing climate change, it rests on my belief that I am to be a good steward of God's creation. And I also believe one day a year isn't too much to ask to celebrate that idea.
