What does praying have to do with choosing free-range chickens at Tescos? What does singing in church have to do with cycling to work? What does reading your Bible have to do with turning off the lights when you’re not using them?
The answer is worship. Each of these things can be part of our way of demonstrating love for God. I often think of worship in terms of what I do to spend time with God. I’ve been challenged this week however about the importance of looking after creation because “God intends our care of creation to reflect our love for the Creator”. If you asked me to look after your house for a week whilst you were on holiday, and you came back only to find that I had trashed the place, you would conclude that I didn’t like you very much. Either that or I was just wasn’t a very good friend. Similarly, how we treat God’s house, which he’s lent us for a bit to look after, says something about how we feel about God. To love him is to look after his home.
This is particularly important at the moment because of the crisis we are in at the moment. Over-population, animal mistreatment, wasteful living, holes in the ozone, and lack of fossil fuels – whether we like it or not, things are gonna change. The lifestyle we have enjoyed is not sustainable.
The problem is that change is so hard. I certainly feel torn by what is convenient and easy, and what is right – disposable nappies vs. reusable ones. Holidays in the UK vs. holidays abroad (to save an enormous amount of fuel used by flights). Driving vs. cycling. ‘Looking up where food has come from and whether it has been ethically produced’ vs. ‘chuck it in the trolley’.
Singing is church is easy. Spending a bit of time in prayer each morning is doable. Spending that little extra to get fairtraded tea or free range chickens feels hard. Spending an extra 30 minutes a day washing nappies feels hard. Writing letters to MP’s or shops to stop unethical trading feels like effort.
So, i’m gonna make changes. I just need to work out how this is gonna happen practically so that this is a sustainable simple way of living rather than a fleeting idea. Step 1 – put out the recycling for tomorrow.
Recommended reading: Dave Bookless, Planetwise.
