so nobody was very intrigued by my last post. how about this? do you realize that the US represents 5% of the world's population, but we consume over 25% of the worlds resources. Visit www.prb.org to read the information compiled from different government agency reports. This article points to how our American lifestyle is a big contributor to this.
My question is how do we change our lifestyle? We don't really know any different/better. It's mainly just the way we've been raised.
I think I might start taking showers every other day or twice a week, and use the least amount of water possible. Get a bike to ride to work. Make sure lights are off, etc. The problem is, it can't just be me, but there have to be A LOT of us to do this. I always wonder about the corporate world. How much electricity, etc. is consumed by working 24-7 so that consumers can consume 24-7?
Maybe we should sell all our stuff and leave the country and join our brotheres and sisters who consume a lot less---that would be quite the lifestyle change. How long could you handle that? What's so great about our lifestyle that we couldn't endure theirs longer? What makes our way of living so great? Is it our selfishness--"Have what you want when you want it"?
If it's selfishness, doesn't the Church have some responsibility to proclaim something different? Shouldn't being a Christian be marked by being "Christ-like" or self-sacrifice?
How can we (the Church) continue letting people live in continual unChristlikeness, cajoling them to want Christlikeness, but not actually making progress? Most people who come to churches probably think they're "ok." They know they're not evil because they don't murder, steal, etc., and they're not good because they always know they could be better, but because of grace they're "ok." Are we "ok" with that?
I think we need to hear Jesus' and John the Baptist's words again "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
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Yeah, I've heard a great deal on this in recent months... What really gets me is when religious leaders (not too many...) start preaching about how it's perfectly okay to make lots of money, they're told to donate some of that money to the church, and then the church goes and builds a mega-church-style addition instead of feeding hungry people in their own town (let alone on another continent). Or, how the so-called Christian leaders in our government talk about high morality in campaign speeches, give tax cuts to the rich, and let the lower class sleep in the cold.
Unfortunately, you're right, it's really hard to consume less in today's day and age. Brooke and I are moving in a few weeks to a new apartment and we plan on installing compact fluorescent light bulbs everywhere we can. I just built a new computer that is more energy efficient. We just got a new Scion xA that can pull 40 mpg on the highway. I guess we're concentrating more on energy efficiency rather than water efficiency ('cause it isn't that big a deal in Missouri...California is another story...), but anything anyone can do helps!
Good post, man... :-P
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