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Today I led a Bible study on Genesis 3, and an issue came up that occurred to me for the first time in college. There is a reading of the first few chapters of Genesis that sees the eating of animals by humans as a consequence of "The Fall" (human disobedience of God). See Genesis 1:29-30 - "God said, 'See I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.' And it was so." (NRSV) This seems to be saying that plants were given to ALL animals for food as the initial setup of creation. So, should Christians seek to live in a way that reflects this by being vegetarians?
If not, and to be fair I am not a vegetarian, I think there is at least a responsibility for Christians to offer a response for the way they come by the meat they eat. We are for the most part not a society that hunts our food the way Native Americans did - and there is consequently much less reverence for the animals we eat. Some might claim the way many of our food animals are treated borders on abuse. If we are to eat animals, shouldn't we at least see that they are treated from pasture to plate as humanely as possible?
I have enjoyed reading The Omnivore's Dilemma immensely. The chapter that probably had the most effect on me was the one where the author participates in slaughtering the chickens on a sustainable farm. He argues that every meat-eater should have to do this at some point, and I wondered to myself if I could bring myself to kill my food - at least if not doing so was still an option. I think this will no doubt have some lasting impact on what I eat. And I'll share with you an Emerson quote mentioned in the aforementioned chapter that struck me: You have just dined, and however scrupulously the slaughterhouse is concealed in the graceful distance of miles, there is complicity.
"Weekly Green Thought"
"We should remain within the limits imposed on our basic needs and strive with all our power not to exceed them. Once we are carried beyond these limits in our desire for the pleasures of life, there is no criterion to check our onward movement, since no bounds can be set to that which exceeds the necessary." Nilus of Ancyra (407-94), Ascetic Discourses, vol. 1, Philokalia
I'm finally reading a book I've been meaning to read for a while. It's called The Omnivore's Dilemma. Essentially, the omnivore's dilemma is "What shall I eat?" For many animals this is not a problem. They eat generally the same thing all the time. My dog, for instance, gets dog food twice a day and after two and a half years, she has yet to complain or go on a hunger strike. She seems content to eat the same thing every day.
Well, not me. As an omnivore I desire variety. And the question of what to eat or what I want to eat plagues me. Even with unlimited options, sometimes it takes me what seems like an eternity to decide. But even when I decide what to eat there's an underlying problem of getting the food. The problem stems from the fact that I am not a farmer or a hunter. I am at best a gatherer, but my gathering takes the form of picking up things and putting them in a grocery basket. But where did the grocery get the food that I'm buying and eating?
This is the ultimate question of the book: "Where does our food come from?" I've never read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. I like both Chicago and meat too much to read it, but from what I've heard the awakening it brought about in our consciousness seems to be the desired effect of The Omnivore's Dilemma. That I would know the difference between beef from a cow that was fed corn and one that was fed grass and why the difference matters. That I would understand what "organic" actually means - if it means anything.
I'm loving the book, but at the same time wondering if there's a way to go on eating the same way after I finish reading it. I feel like what we eat is a tremendously important thing, for our health but also the health of the planet. And yet I think most of us are completely ignorant about our food. I am hopeful that this book and other movements will bring about momentum to steer us back to a time when people knew exactly what they ate, primarily because it was in their backyard.
Weekly Green Thought
"Some people, in order to discover God, read books. But there is a great book: the very appearance of created things. Look above you! Look below you! Read it. God, whom you want to discover, never wrote that book with ink. Instead, He set before your eyes the things that He had made. Can you ask for a louder voice than that?" Augustine (354-430), De Civitate Dei, Book 16
I'm not sure if I've talked about "species arrogance" before or not, but basically it's the concept of a certain species thinking they are supreme above all others. Trouble is, I guess it can only be theoretical because we don't really know if a walrus ever actually thinks it is superior to a penguin or a seal. Sometimes we sense it in animal behavior; but confirming "species arrogance" is dicey.
I think a special consideration must be made for humans though. It seems humans routinely think they are somehow on a different plane from other creatures. To a degree this may be relevant in that humans seems to have cognitive abilities beyond most other animals. We can certainly hatch plans and do taxes (for the most part) that our fellow creatures don't bother to do. However, does this necessarily mean we are the most advanced? The more we observe family units in other species and fascinating behavior that seems written in the DNA of other animals, the less I think our claims of supremacy stand up to the test of reason.
Leaving some of these questions aside, it became abundantly clear to me recently that while I consider humans a "strong" species - we are by no means the mightiest, and in truth are quite vulnerable. We of course know this for the most part. We generally don't swim with powerful sharks or get too close to lions. We are aware that even smaller creatures like spiders and snakes can kill us with a bite. But that even plants can inflict severe pain on us should give us pause and perspective of our place in nature.
I point this out because a couple weeks ago I was playing disc golf (a great "nature game" that I wrote about a few posts ago), and I found myself looking for a disc in a patch of poison ivy. I washed thoroughly when I got home. No matter - it took over my leg anyway. What followedwas several WEEKS of severe itching and discomfort - all from a few leaves.So when we get the arrogance to think that we are the biggest, baddest, and best on the planet - I hope something makes us itch really, really badly.
Weekly Green Thought
"Even if you are old, you must plant. Just as you found trees planted by others, you must plant them for your children." Midrash Tanchuma, Kodashim 8 (fourth-fifth centuries)
The other day I was visiting with an amazing church member who has been battling cancer for some time. Throughout it all she has maintained her sense of humor and an amazing perspective on life - realizing how small we are in the grand scheme of things.
We were talking about caring for creation and sharing some dismay at how so many people (especially Christians) don't seem to "get it." She asked me what I thought was the biggest problem, and in that moment I said "I think we humans have such a limited perspective." For the most part, we are not very good at looking at the bigger picture and considering the long-time ramifications of our decisions and use of technology. We are great at taking a good idea and expanding it to the point that it does damage.
Take, for example, sidewalks. Some cities may have great sidewalks and may be very walker friendly. But for the most part, cities are built for cars and have been for some time. In the city I live in sidewalks on main roads are almost non-existent. In neighborhoods, they start and stop with no rhyme or reason. Part of my block on the side opposite me (not the whole block - part of it) has a sidewalk, but nothing on my side of the street. It's pretty ludicrous. Why isn't the whole town laid out with sidewalks first so we know everyone can get around on foot (which we learn to do long before we drive mind you) before we worry about cars?
Walking more would help decrease smog and harmful emissions. Walking is cheaper - free to be precise. Walking is safer. Walking is very healthy. Walking is the transportation we were naturally created to utilize. Why can't we see this? Let's expand our perspective.
Weekly Green Thought
"Without earth, there is no rain, and without the rain, the earth cannot endure, and without either, humans cannot exist." Genesis Rabbah 13:3 (third-fifth centuries)
Wow, pretty unbelieveable that it's taken me this long to post since the move. Of course, I didn't even move until mid-June, so how that month ended up being a wash is anyone's guess. It is a big change though. This was my third move in as many years and each to a different state (although, now I'm back in my home state - and actually town).
In addition to my slackness in blogging, I have found that the move has brought challenges to my ability to practice care for creation to the extent that I had been. Of course, I was practically living on a farm before, and it's pretty easy to be sustainable on a farm if you put forth any effort. Things can be slightly more difficult in the city.
It seems like most things have been a trade off. I'm much closer to the church I serve, and there will be considerably less driving in my life. But the house I'm living in (renting for now) is not really eco-friendly at all. My first WEEK's power usage here was equivalent to a MONTH's where I was before. Of course I hope to adjust now that I'm learning some things, but it is difficult. I'm hoping I can help bring more recycling options and other creation care practices to the city. But I guess working on myself in my new place is the first goal.
Weekly Green Thought
"Even though you may think them superfluous in this world, creatures such as flies, bugs, and gnats have their allotted task in the scheme of creation." Genesis Rabbah 10:7 (third-fifth centuries)
I wrote not too long ago about Anathoth Community Garden in North Carolina and celebrated the concept of dedicating an empty plot of land to God so that it might be a flourishing garden: http://www.anathothgarden.org/
I hope this concept catches on in more communities, but I am overjoyed to report that my hometown of Jackson, TN has started such a project: http://jacksonfumc.org/home/communitygardens.php In a few weeks, I will be moving back to Jackson to serve as associate pastor at the church helping to initiate Jackson Community Gardens (First United Methodist Church). I cannot wait to see this take off, and I promise to write more about it. But for now, here's a wonderful article written by one of the church members who has been instrumental in this mission: http://memphissite.brickriver.com/news_detail.asp?pkvalue=355
Weekly Green Thought
"There is nothing that has been created without some reason, even if human nature is incapable of knowing precisely the reason for them all." John Chrysostom (ca. 354-407), Homilies on Genesis 7.14
"The world has been created for everyone's use, but you few rich are trying to keep it for yourselves. For not merely the possession of the earth, but the very sky, the air, and the sea are claimed for the use of the rich few...The earth belongs to all, not just to the rich." Ambrose of Milan (340-97), De Nabuthe 3.
If people in industrialized nations (the rich - speaking generally as the world is concerned) lived like people in non-industrialized nations, imagine the lack of pollution in the seas, air, and earth. And yet rich nations continue to make life even worse for the poor who live more closely in dependence on the land. Many rich nations build large, mass-polluting factories in poor nations where they can obfuscate environmental laws and employ cheaper labor. These are central issues of justice about which the Church cannot remain silent.
