Why Buy Local
I’m learning this. I just got back from the grocery store… unfortunately, I contributed to the stats on this page. But this is a great informational format to encourage us to buy local. If we all just make this choice, our children will live in a better place when they grow up.
(Click to enlarge)
Source: eLocal.com
The Choice is Ours
Noah:
Love is what I want to be known for and is how I want to live my life. It is the essential primary way in which people are to embrace God, our neighbor, and the world. The faith community dwells on love of God first and second to that is the love of our neighbors. What is often forgotten is the love of the world. Throughout the poetry of the Creation Narrative found in Genesis, we read of a God who is intimately involved with his creation; a creation that He declares is, “Good”.
In the accounts of Jesus life and ministry, we have snippets of how God cares for his creation. One of the most familiar things that Jesus says are the words found in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world…”. In the original language, the word used for “world” was “cosmos” or creation.
Love is what has led our family into believing that we could do a better job with how we treat God’s earth. We have started recently to realize that we make unconscious decisions that harm the planet. We watch many documentaries that highlight the destructive forces that mankind has had on the world. Without a doubt it is overwhelming. On the other side, there are people who say that Global Warming or carbon footprint is a myth or theory. Regardless of either school of thought, Emily and I have come to a conclusion that we could do better with our consumption, both internally and externally. We decided that, as a family, we should make conscious decisions to live better. Much more could be said on the issue, but the bottom line is this: instead of protesting, fighting the system, or shouting at the world that they could do better; we have decided the choice is ours and it starts with us. In the last couple of weeks we began to make some changes in our lives. Our first step was to recycle.
Emily:
Although Noah and I are still in the initial stages of what we hope will birth a new way of life, my experience thus far has been one of tremendous personal growth and learning. The connections between spirituality and caring for the earth have become undeniable to me. From issues like loving what God loves to struggling with a consumerist heart to having idols to Biblical stewardship, sacrifice, discipline and self-control; the correlations seem endless. When faced with this notion many people become defensive and argue the freedoms we have in Christ, which I wholeheartedly affirm and practice. I have found, however, that in striving to live in a manner that is pure, simple, humble, and holy, a life which involves self-denial, this abundant life in Christ that we have always heard of can be more fully realized. Allowing our personal desires to endlessly consume will only lead us further down the bleak path of self-absorption. For me, this has been and will continue to be a challenge to rid my life of my addiction to consumerism, the disposable life, and ultimately…to love beyond myself.
Noah:
Is there a connection between how we treat the earth and how we treat the Creator? I remember when I was a child my dad made for me a quiver for my bow and arrow set. It was made out of cardboard and rope and I was proud to have it. I had several of my friends come over one day and for whatever reason, one of my friends grabbed it and stomped on it crushing and destroying the quiver. I remember standing in my yard and weeping. The quiver for me represented my dad and his love for me. Seeing it destroyed like that caused my heart to hurt because the created thing pointed to something greater. How we treat the creation is how we treat the creator.
Emily:
Genesis 1:28 reveals to us that we are to exercise dominion over the whole earth. Somehow along the line of history, or perhaps beginning day 1 after the fall of man, we have interpreted that to mean that we have full permission to use and abuse the earth and its resources because we are the ones in control. There are many things wrong with this idea starting with the reality that we are not, in fact, the ones in control. We have been given authority from the ultimate authority.
When we think of a government ruling over a nation of people, we can easily see that their dominion is one where they can choose to rule justly and kindly as one who cares for their subject of ruling, or they can choose to enslave their people and use them for whatever brings satisfaction to them. After all, they make the rules so they can rightfully and with total freedom choose either one. When our Creator generously provides everything that we need to live why would we not take such care of that which we have been entrusted?
For each day of creation, God declared that His masterpiece was good. He loves His creation, and we can choose to share in that love or mistreat an object of His affection. As rulers the choice is ours.
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