tuesday's, greens day. part 1 of (many)...

my mind and heart have been conflicted for a long while... and today, i am taking it to the blog.

i have avoided talking about it on the blog, i avoid conversations where people may disagree with me.  i don't like conflict.  it makes me sick to my stomach.  it makes me tremble.  it gives me diarrhea.  just sayin.  i like everyone to be one big happy family, to be friends, to be secret lovers.  i don't like disagreements.  but, here we go... this is part one, of a many part series... tuesday is green day.


let me start by saying this... i am not a crunchy granola hippie.  i do not consider myself green, and in fact i hate the term "green".  i think it is a marketing ploy and a term used by rich people to make themselves feel better about how wasteful they really are.  that being said... i am a christian.  i want to do God's will, and i think that if christians were completely honest with themselves they would remember that God put us in charge of the birds of the air and the fish of the seas.  He put us in charge of the earth that He created.  He, in His infinite power and glory, put the responsibility of caring for the earth in our hands. Genesis 1 26:28 says; "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."   So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." (NIV)  if we took that charge seriously, we should be the ones heading up the so called "green" movement.  as believers, as followers of Christ, we should desire to take care of what He created, we should be good stewards of what He entrusted to us, of everything we are given.  we should save a whale, we should recycle, we should be conscious of our consumption of valuable resources and output of damaging waste.  we should hug a tree. 

but why don't we?  is it because the conservative christian is most often on the political right, and the earth loving, tree hugging, "green" people are more often on the political left.   is it that the people who value the importance of recycling and use of oil are the same people who devalue the importance of human life and support abortion.  is it too hard to choose one cause or the other?  is it that we don't believe the stories about the degeneration of our planet?  is it our our own selfishness?  or do we not care? 

i can understand the reasons why this cause falls to the wayside.  of course it is easy to disagree with everything people believe when you so strongly disagree with one thing.  of course people's lives are more important than saving the environment.  i would never urge someone to give their money towards a "green" cause rather than to a human cause.  with humans every day suffering abuse, disease, starvation, slavery, and pain of every sorts, of course we have a lot to think about and the call for us to serve is great.  i will always take a stand for a person over a stand for a tree, and i think God would as well.  However, i believe He has called us to do both.  There must be a fine line somewhere where we can stand for both.  God calls us to Love people, he also calls us to be good stewards with what he has given us.  God calls us to help the poor and weak, He also gave us a responsibility to care for all He created.  I believe if God was here with us today, (and He is, I know I know God is everywhere blah blah blah- but I mean if He were really physically here with us), He would be standing for everything.  He would be helping at the soup kitchen, and recycling.  He would be counseling at the youth center, and walking when He could instead of driving.  He would be giving money to help free the oppressed, and be smart about his food use and consumption.  i think He would be hugging the neck of every person passing him by, and i also think He would be hugging a tree.

that being said let me tell you... i suck at this.  my dream car is a cadillac escalade.  if i had my way, i would drive it all around town making multiple trips to starbucks, target, the shopping mall, and omaha steaks every day.  i am a carnivor extrordinaire.  i eat meat with every meal, i crave it.  my favorite meal is steak and mashed potatoes, corn fed steak as big as my head and mashed potatoes packed full of hormones and growth agents.  i only buy purses and shoes if they are genuine leather.  you can find me sniffing belts and other accessories in any store.  i would adore a fur coat, baby seal would be even better (antique of course, i don't want to break current laws, i just want to be warm and fabulous!)  diamonds are a girls best friend.  'nuff said.  i prefer name brand beauty supplies, and pay no attention to the ingredients, or if they test on animals.  rather be tested on an animal than on me, i say. i prefer water out of a bottle far better than water out of the faucet.  i drink coke out of a can every day.  the idea of living off the land in a remote area gives me the heebies, and don't get me started about having a reusable rag instead of toilet paper.  i think being "green" is a crock of crap.  most people who say they are green use 12 times the energy and resources i do, and if another tv network turns their logo green for the week and tries to say they are being green i might scream.  you are a tv station, your existence is dependent upon people not being green.

in my eyes, as a chrisitan, a follower of the word, a believer in christ, as a person desiring to do His will, the issue is not who is creating the "green" movement, the issue is not whether our earth is actually suffering from global warning, or how the results of studeis are slanted in either direction.  the issue is what God has asked of us.  the issue is whether or not i am doing God's will.  and... i think this may be one area we are seriously failling.

perhaps, my being a poor steward with what God has entrusted me is just another way that i am not fulfilling His will in my life.  perhaps, my selfishness and ignorance in this matter is actually sitting in disobedience to His word, to His plan.  perhaps.

it is always my desire to do His will.  everyday i fail.  i fail miserably.  this may be one area that i can succeed in.  so, i am starting on a journey.  a journey to find God's will in this "green" area of life.  i may be onto something here...

Comments

  1. gina10:04

    Fourteen years ago, I was a tree hugging, used clothes wearing, birkenstock wearing mama. I went to farmers markets, and I would be the only person there. Everyone thought I was CRAZY. Crazy with a capital C.

    I'm still that same person. But almost overnight, everyone started doing what I was doing. Even the people that shunned me. Unconsciously, I went and bought new clothes, and stopped going to the farmers market. Slowly, I am finding my way back to who I used to be - not because it's trendy, but because it's me :)

    Be who you are. Wear fur and recycle. Be the person God wants you to be, and never feel guilty :)
    You are you, and there is only one wonderful you! Thank you for opening up the conversation :)

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  2. I couldn't agree more. We must love God's creation.

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  3. Being a dairy farmer, I always say every day for us is earth day. I think the same is true for us as Christians, and it's great that you wrote about it. And you really, really don't need to feel bad about eating meat. :)

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  4. Melinda, My husband thinks my recycling efforts are silly -- "in the scheme of things, it doesn't help all that much" is his feeling. But being a good steward of this world (and a role model for my children) is important to me. Thanks for your honestly, this blog reader and SUV driver, appreciates it.

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  5. well i recycle and have for a loong time. yes i drive an suv but i like to feel that i am counteracting it with the recycling. yes it's true that lots of god fearing people think that global warming is a liberal hoax and that just really gets my blood boiling. i've always said christians should want to take care of god's earth. i also don't understand why lots of christians are so condemning but that's another topic. i want my kids to be able to breathe the air so i do what i can. i wish i could do more. i'd love to compost but we don't have a yard. i'd love to only buy organic but i'm broke. i'd love to shop locally at farmers markets but i work on the weekends. so i do my little part and make patrick wash garbage.

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  6. I often wonder if it isn't a waste of water rinsing all those cans and jars to go into the recycling bin. And all the water I used for years and years washing cloth diapers...

    good post

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  7. Beth in the City17:23

    Well said! We need to think about these things.

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