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. 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?

Righteous Indignation (p ix-xviii)

Righteous Indignation (p ix-xviii)

Welcome back from our short break. Today we'll cover the Foreword and Introduction, and in the future we'll also cover two essays per week.

FOREWORD (Rabbi David Ellenson, PhD)

(1) "...individual spiritual devotion and social justice are partners" (p ix).

Britt Bravo talks about this connection in two Have Fun*Do Good blog posts--Funding Personal and Social Transformation: Paula Sammons, Seasons Fund and Spirituality, Religion and Activism: What's the Connection? Both posts refer to the Seasons Fund which supports organizations that understand and develop this link between personal and social transformation. As a side note, Jewish Funds for Justice was one of the founding partners of Seasons Fund.

What connections between the two have you noticed in your life? How does your personal faith/spirituality/belief system/religious practice affect your attitudes toward social justice issues and your actions for making a better world?

INTRODUCTION

(2) "The creation of a just and sustainable world requires the cooperative efforts of people from all walks of life" (p xiii).

No single organization, political party or religion is powerful enough or humble enough to create a "just and sustainable world." I can do my part. You can do your part. In cooperation we will grow personally and collectively, and then change will come.

(3) "In assembling this anthology, we draw strength from past Jewish activists who sought to meet the justice needs of their times. The biblical prophets take as their primary task to teach people the need to create just communities" (p xiii).

This paragraph is the main reason I chose this book for us to read together. We must learn from the prophets the definition of peace and justice, the principles for action, the goals that are in line with God's priorities. As we learn from them, we gain wisdom for our actions today--what, where and how.

(4) "None of the essays in this book addresses direct service because we feel that the American Jewish community does this work very well. Virtually every synagogue we have entered has a 'social action committee' and provides congregants with ways to serve the needy. Very few social action committees, however, actually empower congregants as political advocates. And without political action, there can be no deep and lasting change" (p xvii).

What a statement! I wish every congregation in my denomination had a social action committe. That would be incredible. I know we try to serve and help, and many churches do this fairly well given their resources, but we are far from organized. We have school committees, budget committees, evangelism committees, etc., but I dare say the number of social action committees is pretty low. Let alone political activism that gets to the root of issues!

Is your local faith community committed to social action to the degree that it organizes around these issues? If not, how can you work to change this? What leadership role are you willing to take?

(5) "Yet our tradition tells us that we can change our ways and transform our world. This is the essence of teshuvah (repentance)" (p xviii).

I'm reminded of the deeply philosophical and intensely political drama, Two Weeks Notice (Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant). I believe it was tofu yogurt or cheese cake that Sandra's father uses to demonstrate that people change. He would have never eaten it before the influence of his wife. I hope that is indeed how the exchange goes. Hmm, I wasn't planning on referencing that less-than-engaging film in this post.

(6) "'It is not incumbent upon you to complete the task, but neither are you free to desist from it' (Pirkei Avot 2:16)" (p xviii).

It is possible that Thomas Merton had this in mind when he wrote "A Letter to a Young Activist," where he cautions the young man that he may not see results but that the work is still "crucially important." I first read this letter in Faith Works (Jim Wallis, 2002).

Do I have the courage to continue working for change, for justice, for peace, for sustainability even if I don't see results this month, this year, this decade? Do I believe it's still crucial? Do you? And if I do see results, will I remain humble?

There are so many more points that stood out to me in these short sections, but this introductory post is already lengthy.

Shalom,
Jeff