are called to do justice for all, which includes that we be intentional in our care of our natural world,” Ward said. “How we use these giſts not only matters to our local ministry but also to countless others around the globe struggling to survive in an ever-more-hostile climate. It is incumbent upon us to do our part to reduce this burden in every way possible and hopefully lead others to do likewise.”
Jim Martin-Schramm, a religion professor at Luther
College, Decorah, Iowa, and others are organizing to present a resolution related to fossil fuels at ELCA synod assemblies. Te resolution will ask ELCA congre- gations and institutions to make a public commitment to transition away from investments in fossil fuels and move to investments in clean, renewable energy sources. Martin-Schramm believes Christians are called to
A flourishing life
Living intentionally By Jeremy Rehwaldt
I
s your life as fulfilling and meaningful as you’d like it to be? Every year when I ask students at Midland Univer- sity in Fremont, Neb., what makes for a contented and
meaningful life, I hear the same responses: strong family relationships, close friends, meaningful work, faith in God, a sense that they are contributing to the world. Yet oſten the way we spend our time and money
doesn’t support those goals. Why is that? I think it has to do with sin. We are all
sinners in need of redemption. Martin Luther affirmed that, and our lives show it. But what does sin have to do with living a meaningful life? Most of us know our personal sins, our individual
failings, pretty well. We recognize our impatience with our children, a harsh word said to our partner, a grudge held against a friend. We pay attention to these and struggle to do better: to be kinder, more patient and more forgiving.
Paying attention We’re not as good at seeing social sins—sins connected to our participation as members of a society. We oſten think we have a handle on our moral failures. James Keenan, a Roman Catholic ethicist, writes in
Moral Wisdom (Rowman & Littlefield, 2005): “Our sin is usually where you and I are comfortable, where we do not feel the need to bother.” If we want to promote others’ well-being, are we
paying attention to the right things? Where are we not looking? What decisions are worthy of moral reflection? Controversial issues such as whether to sentence
20
www.thelutheran.org
My everyday purchases do affect the well-being of others, in this case by supporting—even
someone to death, certainly. Decisions about whether to cheat on your taxes, of course. But decisions about what to wear, what to eat, whether to purchase a new car and so on? Tose are the kinds of decisions where we oſten aren’t paying attention. Earlier this year I purchased a new pair of shoes. Te
if passively—a system that doesn’t promote
the flourishing of life for those who work in it.
people who make most of the shoes and clothing sold in the U.S. work under hazardous conditions for low pay. Te 2013 factory collapse in Bangladesh that killed 1,000 garment workers is a dramatic example. In an area where $105 a month is needed for a minimum quality of life, workers recently received a pay raise to $68 per month. My everyday purchases do affect the well-being of others, in this case by supporting—even if passively— a system that doesn’t promote the flourishing of life for those who work in it. Why do such issues escape our attention? Even if
I know about sweatshops, how do I still buy goods without reflecting on the practices of the companies that make them? Keenan notes: “We live in societies that do not want
us to be disturbed.” We follow “paths of least resistance,” doing what those around us do, and we see moral problems as those around us see them. As people living in a consumer society, we don’t see how our purchasing habits can support suffering because it’s not where we are looking. So where does that leave us? As my students oſten tell me: We can’t pay attention to everything. It’s over-
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52