Why Tread Lightly?

This blog is a place to share my journey towards treading more lightly on the earth, because at the moment my footprint is too big (and not just because of my size 8 feet!) If everyone lived like most people in the UK, we would need about 3 earths to sustain us all, and we only have one so it's worth valuing...

Taking action is also a way to express my desire for justice, because it simply isn't fair that the poorest people on earth are bearing the brunt of the damage which we cause through changing the climate.  I hope that it will offer a place for debate as well as encouragement.

Part of the reason why I want to protect the earth we share is that I believe my faith has something to say about sustainability and equality. If you’re not a Christian, feel free to pass on this section if you wish. If you are a Christian, please read on, because I believe we have a duty that we have been turning a blind eye to. As often happens, I think others have said this better than I could, so thanks to Jeremy at 'Make Wealth History' for a short explanation of why I believe we should step up to the challenge of caring for the world we live in (http://makewealthhistory.org/about/)
Let me summarise the idea of Christian responsibilty in four areas:

We have a duty to God.
Psalm 24 begins with the following words: ‘The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.’ The earth is not ours. Contrary to some popular understanding, God did not give us the earth – he gave us the use of it.

We have a duty to the world
In Genesis we read that God made the earth good, and that the earth is ‘cursed’ because of us. Human behaviour and the state of the earth are inextricably linked. Have a look at Hosea 4, where it describes a society’s violence and dishonesty, and goes on to say: ‘Because of this the land mourns…’

We have a duty to each other
A very simple principle that John the Baptist puts best in Luke 3: ‘The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.’

We have a duty to ourselves
Homo Sapiens literally means ‘the soil that knows it is alive’ – from the latin for soil and for knowing. As nothing more than ‘sentient earth’ we are part of the ecosystem, not above it.Genesis 3 reminds of us this: ‘dust you are, and to dust you will return.’ When we forget this, we give ourselves a status we can’t live up to.
See also:

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for sharing your Faith and passion for sustainability in the same breath - refreshing and inspiring, indeed! I am an ecologist here in Vancouver, BC (Canada) and began writing a monthly column for a local paper, providing practical tips on living more sustainably. I have mentioned my Christian faith via references to my church/pastor, making a gingerbread nativity scene, etc. but nothing more. I am therefore particularly inspired by this posting of yours. Thank You again and Blessings for the Christmas season.

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