Reason #5 Why Some People Don't go to Church: We've Got the Whole World in Our Hands

  We got this.

Link to Why Some People Don't go to Church Top Reason #6

Reason #5:

WE'VE GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN OUR HANDS.

It is always good to know you are a child of God.  What is even better, for the rest of us, is that you know you are our neighbor and earth is our planetary zip code.

While the dualistic: sustainability vs. material abundance debate leaves us in the paralysis of analysis, a mental sing-along of  "We've Got the Whole World in Our Hands", would do much in moving the principles of sustainable living to the forefront of our collective planning and problem solving.

Rev. Dr. Michael A. Schuler is parish minister of the First Unitarian Society of Madison, Wisconsin, and the author of Making the Good Life Last: Four Keys to Sustainable Living.  In it, he teaches the promised land is under our feet  by outlining 4 new rules of conduct for engaging ourselves with the planet.  They are: Pay attention; Stay put; Exercise patience; and Practice prudence.

Pay attention

Most four year old children can see the daily news is slanted.  As we grow, we learn how to decipher information to our advantage.  Learn to see things through this vantage point while at the same time observing how others are doing the same.  See where interests converge and work from there.

Stay put

This may be the first census that begins to record a national trend in transient communities.  Part of the core issue with the economic correction occurring is the underlying fact that although we are no longer tied to the land, we all want a piece of it.  Investing in real estate has traditionally entailed a long-term plan for its use such as family or business.  This, everybody wanting to be a millionaire and act like Donald Trump is jive and people can barely stay alive, let alone enjoy life with this perspective.  Travel is fine, but decide where you want to live and commit to feeding the life-well of your community just like the inhabitants of our favorite tourist destinations have done.

Exercise patience

Rome was not built in a day, and neither will the world that embraces Earth's life systems be.  Dwelling on the solutions brings awareness that there is an alternative to the problem, but without individual and collective application these efforts are fruitless.  

Be patient.  In 1543, Copernicus announced to a startled Europe that the Earth was not stationary, but was sailing rapidly through space as it spun around the Sun. This was difficult news to take in all at once because up to then everyone believed the sun revolved around Earth, but over time Europe reinvented their entire civilization in light of this strange new fact about their world.

Practice prudence

Likewise, what we once took for granted as food, no longer nourishes the body.  What was once considered safe has toxic effects.  Our relationships are in constant course correction, and we've turned selfishly inward.  Be careful.  Remember we are trees among the forest and that our roots are fed from the same soil and water.   We must be considerate of ourselves and others to such a degree that we error on the side of kindness, knowing such consideration is needed from time to time. 

Equally, we must purge what no longer serves Life.

These keys take us from the realm of having yet another set of sustainability commandments, to a framework we can use to transition from greed to balance, with ourselves and others.

Mathematician and cosmologist Brian Swimme teaches science's great discoveries about our planet, our galaxy, and the Universe through the art of meaningful interpretation and masterful storytelling.

Swimme says: Our new challenge is to reinvent our civilization. The major institutions of the modern period, including that of agriculture and religion and education and economics, need to be re-imagined within an intelligent, self-organizing, living Universe, so that instead of degrading the Earth's life systems, humanity might learn to join the enveloping community of living beings in a mutually enhancing manner.

The choir has changed the lyrics of the songs to make them relevant to today.  We have fund raised for new robes and a new train of thought to take the gospel on the road.  All aboard.   This train is pulling out!