Dearly Beloved,
Grace and Peace to you.
Here comes Hurricane Sandy, which looks to be a wicked storm. We might feel a little like Job, nobly enduring the undeserved suffering of a natural disaster with courage, dignity and resourcefulness. But we ought also to feel a little humbled by facing the hidden consequences of our own choices. Certainly, we didn’t cause the hurricane, nor does God “send” weather as punishment. But maybe we contributed to making this storm as bad as it is. Recent increases in the intensity of storms, droughts and other weather patterns are due in part to global climate change, which is partly our own fault. Hurricane Sandy might not have been so bad if it hadn’t been for us and our greenhouse gasses. Like war and pollution and economic crisis, we’ve brought this on ourselves.
Now this observation might make you feel even more small and helpless than the storm itself does. But what I’m saying is that your choices have a greater impact than you can see. All these large patterns are the result of lots of small decisions. If your choices contribute to global carbon imbalance or economic collapse, they can contribute to global healing, too. It’s hard to imagine that your kindness can change the world, but it can and it does. If you can make a hurricane worse, you can also make a society better.
In the next days not many people will do anything heroic that will make a huge difference in the history of the world. But many people will do small things to help each other make it through the storm. And those small things can add up to a world of blessing. That is God’s promise, and our choice.
If you don’t hear from me tomorrow, it just means that our power is out. No big deal. Love your neighbor anyway.
Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve
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Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
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