Righteous Indignation, Ch. 11 (p 79-84)

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 11 (p 79-84)
Judaism, Oil, and Renewable Energy -- Shana Starobin

(1) "Unfortunately, many of us live as if the miracle of Hanukkah is an ongoing reality. We act as though oil--a non-renewable resource--will continue to power our economy long after the time scientists tell us it will surely be used up" (p 79).

To learn about Peak Oil, consider these films and books: A Crude Awakening, The Power of Community, and Plan C. Whether there is enough oil to fuel our world for 20 years or 100 years, we still need to be using present reserves to power the development of renewable methods. We cannot just pretend that once we're 5 years away from depletion that we will be able to pull things together and make a smooth switch to new ways of living.

Does your local electricity provider offer renewable energy sources? In what ways can you personally conserve electricity, coal, oil and natural gas?

(2) "According to [Deuteronomy 10:19], fruit trees are innocent bystanders in a human conflict. In comparing fruit trees to humans, the Torah implies that trees (like human beings) have inherent value and are deserving of honor and respect" (p 82).

"As Sefer Hachinuch so beautifully teaches, our ability to conserve natural resources is connected to our ability to recognize our blessings..." (p 82).

So we are taught to minimize the damage to the earth from human activity. We are taught to consider the perpetuity of life--both human life and plant life (elsewhere, animals as well). We are taught that sustainability requires an understanding of today's actions on tomorrow's reality. What I cut-down won't feed me next season; what I use up this year can't fuel my lifestyle in the next decade.

To you what is the strongest motivator to invest in renewable energy sources--climate change, Peak Oil, ecological conservation, or human impact (such as on the U'wa or Nigerians)? Other motivations? What renewable source of power do you believe is most promising? What possible negative impact might it have?

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 10 (p 76-78)

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 10 (p 76-84)
Toxic Waste and the Talmud -- Jeremy Benstein, PhD

(1) "Legislation and policy are often disassociated from Jewish tradition for reasons including relegation of religion to the private sphere, fear of coercion, stigmatization of religious law as backward, and the claim that 'secular' policy is a realm for politicians and experts, not rabbis" (p 76).

The role of religion in/on government, especially as played out here in the United States, is a tricky one. While most religions don't want the government interfering with their worship and way of life, they do have something to say about how the government operates and spends its budget. But how far to go? Where is the limit as religious leaders and lay persons use the ballot to enforce their views on abortion, gay rights, corporate freedom, school vouchers, smoking in public areas and public funds for faith-based social initiatives? In the past, the list would have also included slavery, civil rights and women's suffrage.

What principles should guide the religious community in deciding what actions are appropriate and which over-reach the boundaries between church and state?

(2) "The Mishnah enumerates different classes of damages (avot nezikin), but the underlying principle is the same: the liability rests on the individual" (p 77).

Who should pay for the Superfund clean up, tax payers or the corporations who caused the damage?

(3) Liberal philosophy, which underlies so much of our culture, sees the individual and his property as inviolable--a concept that has been extended to corporations with disastrous effect" (p 77).

For more evidence of this claim, watch the documentary, The Corporation. What are some of the negative effects of corporate power? Do I know who and what I'm supporting when I hit the mall, when I invest in retirement funds?

(4) Without a strong ethic of the public good, and legal responsibility for the effects on that which is all of ours, privatization and economic globalization are pure plunder" (p 78).

What can I do about this? How can I advocate for responsibility? How can I live more responsibly?

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 9 (p 67-75)

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 9 (p 67-75)
Wonder and Restraint: A Rabbinical Call to Environmental Action -- COEJL

(1) Within the Jewish tradition reside rich teachings about the unity of creation, about boundaries and limits, about deeds and consequences, about poverty and wealth, about individual and communal responsibility, which together form a comprehensive environmental vision and provide practical guidance for environmental balance and restoration" (p 68).

What examples stand out to you that demonstrate the unity of creation? What boundaries or limits do you are most in need of respect? How do poverty and wealth fit in the conversation on enviro stewardship?

(2) "The awakening we seek begins with wonder" (p 68).

Why wonder? What is the significance of wonder? Why do you think the authors want us to begin here?

(3) We are called to consistency on page 69. How consistent are my words and deeds? Do I thank God for the bounty of my meals while supporting agriculture that "despoils the waterways"? Do I give tzedakah and think little of the effects of my investments? Do I talk a big game and yet still leave a large chemical and carbon footprint?

(4) It is said on pages 70 and 71 that there are two covenantal responsibilities--restraint and speaking out. "First, we must understand "...restraint: to practice restraint in our individual and communal lives" (p 70). Examples include Shabbat, dietary consciousness, destruction in warfare, care for animals, generosity and self-care.

"...we must transform ourselves from nature's children to nature's guardians by learning to say 'dai,' 'enough,' to ourselves" (p 71).

In what areas do I need to exercise some restraint--shopping, traveling, watching TV, working, blogging, worrying, controlling? How could restraint in these areas bless the Earth?

(5) "...the second convenantal obligation that our Earth and our faith require is that we speak out, and speak truth, to the world's leaders" (p 71).

Of the six general obligations listed on page 71, which are you already doing? Which pose the biggest challenge for you? Why? Who can hear your voice today?

(6) "Let us rejoice that we, as children of God, have been endowed with the intelligence, reverence, scientific capacity, and faith to serve as the caretakers for such an extraordinary world! And when God declares to us--'Look at My works! See how beautiful they are--how excellent! For your sake I created them all. See to it that you do not spoil and destroy My world, for if you do, there will be no one else to repair it' (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13)--let us respond, with unified voice: 'We will do and we will hearken' (Exodus 24:7)" (p 75).

May we each respond with love, reflection and action.

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 8 (p 60-66)

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 8 (p 60-66)
Jewish Textual Practice and Sustainable Culture -- Rabbi Natan Margalit, PhD

(1) "As my wife nurses our infant, I wonder about the reports that a mother's milk may contain dangerous levels of pesticides--one small example, but perhaps no better symbol, of how the sacred circle of life that connects us all has been badly damaged. Largely due to human intervention, the earth is out of balance" (p 60).

What other examples of our damaged connections are most meaningful to you? When did you first realize the interconnectedness of life?

(2) "...we will need more than technical solutions to solve this crisis" (p 60). The rest of the paragraph develops this idea.

I have met some resistance to this idea when talking with people, even environmentally conscious ones. There is this idea that we don't need to change our lifestyles and ways of thinking, only our light bulbs and sources of electricity. That is, new technology will discover ways for the American way of life to continue without disruption. We don't need to travel less; we just need electric cars with more nuclear generators. We don't need to break the consumption addiction; we just need to buy organic and recyclable merchandise.

What do you think? Will technology mean that no deeper changes are needed? Many of us are driven to buy and consume--Shop worker killed in sale stampede. What drives this? What can change it/us?

(3) "In the modern world, we've broken that pattern of connection. We isolate, separate, and distance ourselves from one another, from the world, and even from our own being" (p 64).

Besides automatic garage door openers (and online book clubs), how do we distance ourselves from others? What impact does this have on our sense of fulfillment? In what ways do you work to connect with others, the world, and yourself?

(4) In describing the "gardener's ethic," Rabbi Margalit states that "our task is not to worship pristine wilderness, but to work the land with stewardship and caring" (p 65). He continues, "The good gardener knows that to vanquish nature would be self-defeating, as he ultimately depends on nature's bounty for the fertility of his garden. The gardener, the garden, and nature are actually all parts of a larger whole." "A Jewish eco-theology starts from this same sense of belonging to a larger whole."

What do you think of the "gardener's ethic" versus the "wilderness ethic"? How do you react to these paradigms? How can we apply the gardener's ethic to society--economies, food production, manufacturing, etc.? What does this look like compared with what is commonplace?

(5) "It is a spiritual practice to construct economic, agricultural, and social modes that work together in dynamic patterns. When we do this, the whole world will be as happy as a new creation and as sweet as new life" (p 66).

God bless your spiritual practice. May our hearts and minds be open to wisdom, change and new patterns. May we bring a little happiness and sweetness to those people, plants and animals in our sphere of influence.

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 7 (p 55-59)

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 7 (p 55-59)
Rereading Genesis -- Ellen Bernstein

We now shift gears from the introductory chapters dealing with social action/justice to specific areas where these principles can be applied. First stop, The Environment.

(1) Our first short chapter on this topic discusses the meaning and significance of "dominion" (Gen 1:28). Does it mean, as Lynn White argued, that Genesis gives us permission to do anything we want to the planet? Or does it carry with it the idea of stewardship and care?

I appreciate the explanation on page 57 that Hebrew is more vague than English. This is good for us to remember when we get the urge to decipher a Hebrew text without its linguistic, cultural, historical and spiritual context.

I've read a couple estimates that say the English language has up to 1 millions words (take out double counts where a word is more than one part of speech and a low estimate comes in around 250,000), while Hebrew has 80,000 or fewer. Do any readers have more precise numbers? We may like precision, but the original language doesn't lend itself to that. This partially explains, in my opinion, why Judaism has such a rich history of interpretation.

"...both kvs, 'master,' and rdh, 'have dominion over,' appear here in these particular grammatical forms, and nowhere else in the Bible. Translating them is not a cut-and-dried affair" (p 57).

How do you feel about ambiguity in the sacred text? Why do you think God left "wiggle room" in His teachings for us? What does this say to you personally about God and truth?

(2) Pages 58 and 59 are packed with content--meaning of dominion, right use of dominion, tending the garden (Gen 2), ownership, continuity of creation, free will, love, work, blessings, curses, etc.

"Dominion, like money, is not in itself bad; it all depends on how we exercise it" (p 58).

Power is a third item that is not bad in itself. It can be used positively or negatively. And power is an integral aspect of dominion. We have power over creation. We do. Not because of our muscles, for the most part, but because of our brains. "With great power comes great..." You know the Spiderman line.

Will we use this power to destroy habitat and the creatures that depend on it? Or can we use our creativity and genius to learn to live with nature instead of against it? In what ways are you living more sustainably now than a year ago? What is your next step in reducing your carbon, chemical and consumptive footprint?

(3) "The complimentary pair of blessings: 'fertility' and 'mastery,' can be understood as blessings for 'love' and 'work.' Fertility implies love, creativity, and being; mastery implies work, strength, and doing" (p 59).

This refers to the two injunctions in Genesis 1:28--to be fruitful and to master the earth. When interpreting in context, it is good to look at the rest of what God said as these other words help define the original command. In Genesis 2:15 God puts humans in the garden to "take care of it."

When you think of humankind's role and activities on this earth, do you tend to think in terms love or work, relationships or accomplishments, enjoyment or utility? What might balance look like for you at this point? What aspect of God, of the human experience, could you expand in your life?

(4) Matthew Sleeth also deals with the word "dominion" in Serve God, Save the Planet (p 34-37). "Dominion comes from a Hebrew term meaning 'higher on the root of a plant.' Dominion does not mean ownership or even unrestricted use. Implied in our dominion is our dependency on everything under us. Cut the root out from under a plant and the fruit above it will perish, despite its superior position" (p 35).

"When we drop off children at kindergarten, we cede dominion over them to the teacher.... At the end of the day... we expect to find them in the same or better condition as when they arrived. We would not tolerate finding them battered or less inteligent at the end of the day. Similarly, dominion over nature does not translate to neglect, license, or destruction" (p 35).

In what ways are we cutting the roots out from under us? With these examples in mind, how could we (I) live more sustainably in these areas? What is the connection or relationship between caring for creation and the health of my own soul? That is, what is the spiritual significance of valuing the world God created to be our home?

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 13 (p 341-358)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 13 (p 341-358)
Crazy But Not Alone

(a) "In a world of smart bombs and military intelligence, we need more fools, holy fools who insist that the folly of the cross is wiser than any human power" (p 343).

That reminds me of Michael Card's old song, "God's Own Fool" (watch the simple revolutionary who goes before us + bonus).

Seems I've imagined Him all of my life
As the wisest of all of mankind.
But if God's Holy wisdom is foolish to men
He must have seemed out of His mind.
For even His family said He was mad
And the priests said a demon's to blame.
But God in the form of this angry young man
Could not have seemed perfectly sane.

God, keep us a little crazy. Don't let us settle back into the normal that you are delivering us from.

(b) Community of Communities (p 348): www.communityofcommunities.us. Even if you're not in an intentional community housing situation, what is your community like? What kind of support group of fools have you put together?

(c) "Because it is small like the old mustard seed, it is possible to miss the little revolution spreading across our land, cross-pollinated by an ongoing web of relationships and a common vision--of alternatives to existing worldly structures, of bartering economies, of money collectives for emergencies (instead of insurance), of prophetic interruptions to war and theft, of sustainable urban gardening and eco-energy alternatives, of using trash and wreckage of the consumptive world to create things that bring life and beauty" (p 348-349).

That is one long and beautiful sentence. For those who want to pursue this in other venues, check these out: Papa Festival, A Sustainable Faith, School(s) for Conversion, CCDA Institute, Word and World, Geez Magazine, Sojourners, SC Faith in Action and Fight with Tools.

(d) "So to the young 'uns: we have to remind ourselves to stay anchored in the church, for we need roots and wisdom" (p 353).

Charissa reminds me of St. Augustine's quote from time to time: "The church is a whore, but she's my mother" (p 354). I found that quote again today in an article by Tony Campolo--Why the Church is Important (Christianity Today, 1 May '07). It's a good article to go along with this chapter.

Why is the church (i.e., the body of Christ, the community of disciples) still important to you, even if you have a bent away from institutional religion?

(e) "We believe poverty can end even though it is all around us. We believe in peace even though we hear only rumors of war. And since we are people of expectation, we are so convinced that another world is coming that we start living as if it were already here" (p 355).

Increase our faith! (Luke 17:5)

: : :

Thanks for sharing the adventure of processing this book together.

Grace and Peace,
Jeff

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 11a (p 289-305)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 11a (p 289-305)
Making Revolution Irresistible

(a) "I got this [burn scar] making stuff for you" (p 292).

Though not Claiborne's main point in this chapter, still you can find fair trade businesses in this pdf (published by the Fair Trade Federation) or at this site (Fair Trade Certified). These related sites may also guide you: Corporate Critic, Ethical Consumer, EthiScore, Ethical Shopping and Get Ethical. Or learn to sew like Shane.

Production and trade aren't necessarily bad, whether local or (maybe even) international. They just need to be done in a fair manner with respect to all parties and the planet. Once every four years, (some) U.S. citizens vote in the presidential election. But we vote for the world of tomorrow with every dollar spent. Will it be fair trade or indifferent? Organic or carcinogenic? Win-win or win-lose?

(b) "There are times when injustice will take us to the streets and might land us in jail, but it is our love for God and our neighbor--not our rage or our arrogance--that counts" (p 293).

What issues take you to the streets? In the midst of protest, are you able to embody love and peace, or do rage and arrogance take over?

From a different perspective, Rob Bell talks about what we do with our anger in Store. Do I use it to make the world a better place like Jesus did (Mark 3:5)? Or do I get destructive?

The words of Kaj Munk on pages 294/5 fit this concept brilliantly.

(c) "Just as 'believers' are a dime a dozen in the church, so are 'activists' in social justice circles nowadays. But lovers are hard to come by. And I think that's what our world is desperately in need of--lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues..." (p 295).

Am I a believer? What do I believe about God and justice? Am I an activist? What actions and what attitudes will achieve the results God desires? Am I a lover? Of whom? Why? Who else needs my love today? How do healthy boundaries help me love more completely?

(d) View the life of Immokalee Workers (p 298-300). That cheap produce in the grocery store suddenly doesn't look so appealing. The answer isn't to stop eating it, but to help those harvesting it for us to get what they need. Our wage scales (both in the U.S. and for multinational corporations) may be legal, but God has a different perspective.

Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. (James 5:4-5)

(e) "Degrees of separation allow us to destroy human beings we do not know except as the enemy" (p 304).

Smart bombs keep war de-personalized. "We have guided missiles and misguided men" (Chris Blake, Swimming against the Current, p 109).

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5a (p 115-126)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5a (p 115-126)
Another Way of Doing Life

(1) “…what people are really wondering is whether there is life before death” (p 117).

Does my life show the world another, a better, way to live?

(2) “And the kingdom that Jesus speaks so much about is not just something we hope for after we die but is something we are to incarnate now” (p 117).

Sometimes I’ve heard or read people express the idea that Jesus’ teachings sound good, but they just don’t work here on this planet—love your neighbor, forgive, turn the other cheek*. But Shane brings up a good point in the quoted paragraph. These teachings don’t fit heaven; they were expressed specifically for planet Earth with its sin problem. We don’t need the teaching “turn the other cheek” in heaven because no one will slap the right cheek to begin with. Jesus’ hard words might not sound like actions we can live here, but clearly he wasn’t giving us advice on how to live later. It is meant for here and now.

(3) “We knew that the world cannot afford the American dream and that the good news is that there is another dream” (p 119).

This is so true. Already the world is feeling the pinch of limited resources with growing demand. Prices from steel to corn are rising as countries grow their economies in ways patterned after the United States. Demand for oil, food, water and all value-added resources will continue to rise. It has been estimated that for the entire population of the planet to live like North Americans, we would need seven more planets of resources. The U.S. style of life and production is simply not sustainable on a world-wide scale (or even within our borders, but that’s another discussion).

(4) “We narrowed our vision to this: love God, love people, and follow Jesus” (p 121).

That about covers it. What is my mission statement? What guides my decision-making process? How do I decide what to say yes and no to?

(5) “We share life with our neighbors and try to take care of each other” (p123).

What a great statement; reminds me of Galatians 6:2. This line is in the fun description of The Simple Way on pages 122 - 126. I want to quote the whole section here. It’s like the Sermon on the Mount to me.

Our upstairs neighbor is a retired gentleman who likes to garden. He knocked on the door the other day to see if we wanted another tomato plant. He had a couple extra and wanted to share because Charissa’s tomato hadn’t made the move so well. It’s a little thing, but it was really kind of him.

Neighbors can build community with the smallest of kindnesses. Charissa had taken him a plate of homemade cinnamon roles when we moved in, and that had opened the way to more conversations. How can I build community with people around me today?

*As explained by Walter Wink in Jesus and Nonviolence: The Third Way.