As the World Turns
The changing seasons prompt us
to consider other ways we may need to change—for God’s sake!
God calls each and all of us to work for
the changes needed for creation justice.
Below are a few ideas.
Share these Tips with your family, friends, and congregation. Choose any or all. Forward them to someone you care about. Cut-and-paste to put them with your email signature, in your letters and emails, worship bulletins, newsletters, social media, or website.
October 2023 Tips
500,000 school days missed annually by U.S. children are due to pollution from burning fossil fuels. Sick children mean parents miss work. Missing work often means no wages. Missing too frequently may mean no job. People who live closest to toxin-spewing plants pay a heavier price than those who have resources to live elsewhere. Justice requires action to stop air pollution. Find likeminded help at Moms Clean Air Force.
Rather than collecting and bagging your leaves, mow over the fallen leaves. By mulching them in place, you return their nutrients to your lawn, and you avoid adding to a landfill.
When shopping online, go for a “two-for.” Look for both the product you want and for a provider that cares for creation. Some companies donate a percentage of profits to ocean clean up or planting trees, for example. Some start with sustainable materials and ethical practices. Read the “About” on the website. Support those providers.
Commit to reuse, repair, and recycle in the present rather than discard, despoil, and destroy our future. Do it for the children and grandchildren you know and love. Browse online for bumper stickers for recycling or climate change.
Choose bamboo. It’s sustainable—a resource that is fastest growing, self-renewing, water conserving, carbon sequestering, poverty reducing, and more. It’s versatile—used in personal care products, clothing, musical instruments, building materials, paper, towels, sheets, recreational equipment, furniture, and more.
When God called Moses to rescue God’s people, God reminded this very unlikely candidate for leadership that he was standing on “holy ground” (Exodus 3:1-12). Like Moses, we may feel overwhelmed and inadequate to answer the call to creation justice, but God assured him—and us—“I will be with you.” Where is God calling you?
More cities are adopting Zero Waste goals and policies, proving that the investment and efforts are making a difference. Providing curbside organics collection and food scrap drop-off sites, New York City, for example, is keeping 11,000 tons of food waste a day out of landfills. Urge your local government to go Zero Waste.
For retailers Christmas has started. How many catalogs have you received already? Put a stop to any you choose. Call the company and tell them to take you off their list immediately and forever. You’ll save trees, emissions, and annoyance—a 3-for-1 call! A bargain!
October 9, 2023, is Indigenous Peoples Day, recognizing the contributions of native peoples, including how to live in harmony with nature. United Methodist Social Principles affirm their witness. Learn about and use these “10 Traditional Native American Gardening Techniques.”
Halloween looks scary stuff in the eye and laughs at it, taking away its power. For your family’s celebration take away some of the scariness of our time by creating costumes out of clothing and accessories you already own or that you can purchase inexpensively from a thrift shop or swap with friends. Trash the scary one-and-done syndrome, keep cheap costumes out of the landfill, and have a good laugh!
The United Methodist Creation Justice Movement is providing these Tips
as a tool to equip church members, families, and individuals to respond to God’s call to care for creation and do justice with our neighbors.
