Encourage each other to get around by walking and riding a bike.
SHUTTERSTOCK
begins the move toward lifestyles that support the interconnectedness at the heart of God’s good creation. When we pay attention, especially to the suffering of others, we open the possibility for God to reach us and begin the process of change from self-centered individuals to people who love God by loving the world. An obstacle to change of both thought and behavior is the sense of despair and futility that comes from the magnitude of the problem. Cli- mate change is a global problem that will require dramatic intervention. Laura from the youth group reflects the posture that many have embraced: “I think things are really bad. And I think they’re getting worse. I’m only 15. What can I do?” Dorothy Day, founder of the
Catholic Worker Movement, adopted “The Little Way” of the 19th-century Carmelite nun, Therese of Lisieux. In trying to forge her way to holiness, Therese embraced the small, daily actions that led to holiness of life and
24 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org character.
Day embraced those same small actions for the sake of benefiting oth- ers. She wrote that Therese wouldn’t allow anyone to avoid action because the problem is too large. The Little Way challenges followers of Christ to look at the small things each person can do, especially when doing small things seems to make no difference. Adopting The Little Way requires giving up the need to control out- comes and to embrace a trust in the effectiveness of doing small things. In a culture that esteems the grand and dramatic or the thing that will get our name mentioned in the local paper, it’s truly countercultural to believe small things done over a long period of time by many will make a difference. The Little Way begins with the small actions that each of us can begin to take, in the trust that the little things do make a difference. While talk and conversation are an important part of the process to help
us pay attention, eventually we have to take action. Congregations can be communities of encouragement and accountability for taking action. Challenge members consistently to do the little things like recycling, composting and eliminating the use of throwaway dishes and utensils. Do an energy audit of the church build- ing, and at the same time encourage every member to do the same thing for their home.
In addition to encouraging each other to get around by walking and riding a bike, find people in the congregation who are already doing that and lift them up as examples of Christ-like living.
Instead of just talking about plant- ing gardens, be active and organize those with expertise and advice so they can be resources to the begin- ners. Form a loaning library of gar- dening tools so the beginner doesn’t have to run out and buy everything at once. Turn a portion of the church grounds into garden space and
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