I came from a hyper fundamentalist background that also, interestingly, carried a deep hatred of democrats and liberals and everything they stood for, including "saving the whales."
So I grew up hating whales and trees and having contempt for nature. I know that sounds odd, but is what it is.
Since awakening to freedom from materialism, I've since questioned civilization's reliance on complex technology and infrastructures as a "necessity" for human flourishing. I wonder if we are serving modern infrastructure rather than it serving us. For each amazing new piece of medical technology that saves 1000 lives, we invent a new bomb that can kill millions more.
So I'm not sure if all the environmental destruction we engage in is worth it. Why not just be happier with less? We seem to be able to me miserable no matter how "rich" we become.
Living simply happens naturally from a mindset of non-attachment to materiality. This is my theory at least.
I do believe that civilization is possible...but I don't think we've seen what civilization can be without the poison of greedy ambition and obsession with "more". What might things look like if everyone on earth was totally content and happy with nothing, and only built out of a sense of joy and wholeness? Interesting thought experiment! The early church in Acts seems to model this, but those of us who grew up conservative get very uncomfortable with this communal living model (thanks communism!). But that's a whole other topic!
My last thought: oneness. We cannot breathe without the trees and phytoplankton. Therefore, it makes sense to treat the earth the same way you would treat your body. However, thanks to that verse "fill the earth and subdue it..." in the Bible, many of us grew up with a sense of contempt for the earth, as I've mentioned. (On a deeper note: I discovered that deep down, our ill treatment of the earth (and other people) is simply a reflection of our own hidden self hatred...but that, also, is another topic!)
So by hurting the earth, we are hurting ourselves. This isn't poetry or emotionalism: it is simply observable fact. I was blind to it for a long time.
Love to hear it! It's been a continually convicting topic for me. The more I try to accept God's grace, the more I feel called to the obedience of faith. But accepting that my guilt is washed away and being obedient are both so hard!
Unsettling...is a great book. And Berry a wonderful author. You're post is spot on. I think you would enjoy a book of essays titled "Localism in the Mass Age." Several of the essays are on the same point as your post.
I came from a hyper fundamentalist background that also, interestingly, carried a deep hatred of democrats and liberals and everything they stood for, including "saving the whales."
So I grew up hating whales and trees and having contempt for nature. I know that sounds odd, but is what it is.
Since awakening to freedom from materialism, I've since questioned civilization's reliance on complex technology and infrastructures as a "necessity" for human flourishing. I wonder if we are serving modern infrastructure rather than it serving us. For each amazing new piece of medical technology that saves 1000 lives, we invent a new bomb that can kill millions more.
So I'm not sure if all the environmental destruction we engage in is worth it. Why not just be happier with less? We seem to be able to me miserable no matter how "rich" we become.
Living simply happens naturally from a mindset of non-attachment to materiality. This is my theory at least.
I do believe that civilization is possible...but I don't think we've seen what civilization can be without the poison of greedy ambition and obsession with "more". What might things look like if everyone on earth was totally content and happy with nothing, and only built out of a sense of joy and wholeness? Interesting thought experiment! The early church in Acts seems to model this, but those of us who grew up conservative get very uncomfortable with this communal living model (thanks communism!). But that's a whole other topic!
My last thought: oneness. We cannot breathe without the trees and phytoplankton. Therefore, it makes sense to treat the earth the same way you would treat your body. However, thanks to that verse "fill the earth and subdue it..." in the Bible, many of us grew up with a sense of contempt for the earth, as I've mentioned. (On a deeper note: I discovered that deep down, our ill treatment of the earth (and other people) is simply a reflection of our own hidden self hatred...but that, also, is another topic!)
So by hurting the earth, we are hurting ourselves. This isn't poetry or emotionalism: it is simply observable fact. I was blind to it for a long time.
Thanks for sharing!
I like your rant, Wayne, both the content and the VoiceOver. Particularly what you say about the margins. It's given me lots to ponder.
Love to hear it! It's been a continually convicting topic for me. The more I try to accept God's grace, the more I feel called to the obedience of faith. But accepting that my guilt is washed away and being obedient are both so hard!
Unsettling...is a great book. And Berry a wonderful author. You're post is spot on. I think you would enjoy a book of essays titled "Localism in the Mass Age." Several of the essays are on the same point as your post.
Thanks! Added to the to-read list.
Thanks for the comment! I think I agree with your theories.
I also agree that civilization is possible. We just tend to err on the side of Babel, not Jerusalem.