Beginning efforts on POTENTIAL ACTION** from yesterday’s CP post prompted a grins-filled reading of this Lectionary verse for Sunday:
Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ~ Matthew 3:4
Why grins-filled? The visual of John the Baptist from this passage can be stark. The wry grins came in the form of viewing this through a different lens – – climate perspective from these familiar scriptures had never been part of the experience….
- maybe John the Baptist wore camel’s hair clothing because he didn’t want to use additional natural resources for new clothes? (did you know that “the lifetime” of one pair of blue jeans requires over 900 gallons of water?)
- maybe his diet – locusts and wild honey – was imposed to limit his climate impact by sticking with readily-available items? (for one example, positive climate impacts of eating less meat are outlined HERE
Looking for POTENTIAL ACTION items? This Wikipedia page HERE has some ideas including:
People who wish to reduce their carbon footprint (particularly those in high income countries with high consumption lifestyles), can take “high-impact” actions, such as avoiding frequent flying and petrol fuelled cars, eating mainly a plant-based diet, having fewer children,[7] using clothes and electrical products for longer,[8] and electrifying homes.[9] Avoiding meat and dairy foods has been called “the single biggest way” an individual can reduce their environmental impact.[10] Excessive consumption is more to blame for climate change than population increase.[11] High consumption lifestyles have a greater environmental impact, with the richest 10% of people emitting about half the total lifestyle emissions.[12][13]
~ Wikipedia page (HERE)
Coupling Sallie McFague’s compelling commentary (quoted in this 12/2 CP post) with the item from Wikipedia (HERE) …
Others say that individual action leads to collective action, and emphasize that “research on social behavior suggests lifestyle change can build momentum for systemic change.”[15]
…it’s clear to see that our actions and commentary matter – – to people, creatures, the planet and to God.
May the experience of this Advent season help each of us towards climate justice.
Enjoy the day, filled with Spirit’s stirrings!
** POTENTIAL ACTION from 12/2 CP posting: What work can you do this week (“putting your whole self to it”) to help our global climate situation?
Lectionary Texts for Sunday, December 4, 2022:
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