Going green. Renewable energy. Clean air and water.
Recycle. Clean up the Chesapeake Bay. Water tests. Perk
tests. Climate change. Global warming.
It is everywhere, this push for environmental awareness
and concern. We are told we are destroying the
planet and that we must reduce carbon emissions. We are
scared by predictions of vanishing coastlines, frequent
hurricanes, global warming or an upcoming ice age—take
your pick. The polar ice caps are melting one day and
the weather turns unseasonably cold the next.
It is very confusing. Some are saying the whole thing
is just a hoax, the product of a political agenda that has
manipulated scientific data as evidence in a drive to
control your life.
But here's the thing. In all the words, studies, predictions,
debate and chatter about the physical universe, air,
water, and the Chesapeake Bay, no one is saying anything
about cleaning up the spiritual universe.
Where is the push to eliminate profane emissions or
to curb pornographic waste? How about cleaning up not
just the air but also the air waves? And can we think just
once about reducing the violence footprint when we're
warned about our carbon footprint? How about cleaning
up the sewage on the satellite dishes instead of only the
sewage that is killing the streams and rivers? Garbage
in, garbage out. You reap what you sow.
Don't get me wrong. I'm neither a ditto head nor an
environmental wacko. I tend to agree that we Americans
live far too wastefully with concern only for ourselves
and none for the environment nor for future generations.
I recycle, plant trees, cut carbon emissions, and save
energy. I'd love to drive an electric car and use solar
panels and a wind turbine. But it's time to start being concerned about our spiritual environment, the universe
of ethics, and a diet that is high in truth and low in entertainment.
I'm proposing that we make 2010 as the year to
clean up our lives. Turn off the TV. Cancel cable, and
stop paying for the garbage that we pour into our i-pods
and stereos, and the corrosive chemicals we insert into
our DVD's. And let's block all that internet porn junk.
And then let's go green with our diet. Digest the entire
Bible in a year by eating a daily portion from a One
Year Bible. Sermons could be drawn from those readings
throughout the week. Classes may even elect to discuss
the readings each week.
It's time for a change. A cleaner, healthier year is just
ahead!
—Used by permission from the Brotherhood Beacon, Jan. 2010
