I have been in a whirlwind of emotions lately. First there is the matter of the human race. There are some of us poisoning our world…killing it really…there are some of us trying to make it better, and there are some of us that are going about our business thinking everything is fine and dandy. To the last group I want to scream “wake up, you people!!!”
All of this has started churning in me because of the March Against Monsanto scheduled for this Saturday. A march I WILL be a part of because I care about the world God created and how greed and ignorance is destroying it, bit by bit, piece by piece, until, eventually, it will be too late. I remember seeing an exhibit in the Smithsonian about a lady named Rachel Carson, who brought the worlds’ attention to the dangers of DDT. That was back in the 60s. In the ultimate irony, she died of cancer. Have we not learned anything from DDT? No. We are now using other chemicals to kill the bugs and bees and birds and fish and us. Way to go, human beings, way to go. I was brought to tears at that exhibit. I am brought to tears about the way things are today.
This is so important to me – SO important – and yet I can’t find anybody to go to the march with me. My husband is going to go, because he doesn’t want me to go alone, which is very heartwarming but where are the rest of the people? Does no one else care (besides a few dear friends who wanted to go but can’t because of other commitments)? I feel so alone. But I will meet my people down there. It will be good to be among like-minded individuals.
Here’s the other thing that has been wreaking havoc with my emotions….
In the last two days there have been some postings by Christians objecting to other Christians’ theology. Talk about poison. Wow. The bottom line is that you can’t say something as a Christian without some other Christian taking offense. I’m sick of it! It’s on all sides of theology – liberal theology taking offense at conservative theology and vice versa. So no side is without excuse and can pull the righteous card. They are both pulling the self-righteous card and you know what? Jesus saved his harshest words for the self-righteous. Be afraid, you who think you have the truth. Maybe you don’t.
God is so much bigger than we can wrap our heads around, which means the truth is, too. If we would forget worrying about who has it right and feeling like we need to win people over to our side (which of course is God’s side, right?) and just loved people and left the worry about salvation and heaven and hell to God – whose business it is, anyway – then that’s when the good WOW would happen.
One of the postings was a response to a homily the new Pope gave. An uproar because he said that Christ redeemed all of us (um, doesn’t Romans 5 say the same thing?). But his larger message was for all of us to meet in a place of doing good. A common ground of making this world a better place. A common ground where conversations could begin about what we believe and why we believe. Wow. Wouldn’t that be beautiful?
A few years ago I told God I was leaving man’s teachings of Him behind and I wanted Him to show me who He is. This is the journey I’m on and I see how big and unfathomable He is. There is no figuring Him out. There is only following Him and learning from Him and trying to do His will on this earth. Fellow Christians, stop arguing with each other. Turn to God and argue with Him, if you will. Maybe he’ll teach you a few things.
Nature is fighting back against the GMOs already. WSJ this week talked about how they have to spray more pesticides on the GMOs because the insects have become resistant. People are slowly waking up and taking action around the country though. It may be a slow process but the seeds of change are being planted. One way to look at these issues with nature is to think of it as a design problem – those getting money out of the existing system are not going to want to change. We need to offer a better solution. Things like victory gardens, windowfarms, CSAs are a great start. understand the science, then scale it. Rather than change the game, we need to start a new game. Rather than change the current paradigm, we need more independence, self reliance, and community. People do need to “wake up” and avoid the deadly sin of “sloth”, specifically, failing to act when one is needed. Nature is going to win in the end, and it will either kick us off when it is sick of us, or we can live harmoniously with it. There is more than enough for everyone’s need, but not everyone’s greed. Those with the greed are running the system, and those with the need had better start getting creative.
Hey Joe,
I’ve been lax on my blog for the week and just seeing this comment. Love all that you said and I agree with it. Myself, I am starting to look into courses on permaculture and sustainable farming. And learning on my own. I think all of us that are doing the things that you mention will be needed for the future – to create the new game you are talking about!