Radical Abundance

I came across this You Tube presentation by David Korten recently and I am really enjoying his writings and talks. It's all in the past - but this is what the flier says:

God created the earth and entrusted its care to us

As we rethink how to grow, build, supply, consume, dispose, and recycle everything in our lives, we often fail at partnering with the marginalized and powerless, and thus adversely affect them. Building sustainable communities goes hand-in-hand with thoughtful building of infrastructures and physical spaces. Is there a theological basis for living abundantly while striving for justice and sustainability?

In 2009, Trinity Institute will explore sustainability through the lens of liberation theology, which views Jesus not only as redeemer but also liberator of the oppressed. It posits a vision of Christians working together toward social justice by considering all people as full partners in healing our planet and our communities, regardless of their social or economic status. Only in striving for sustainable relationships, rather than accumulating and consuming more for ourselves, can we discover true abundance.

Through previously recorded keynote speeches and panel discussions by leading theologians and grassroots activists, this two-and-a-half-day conference will consider radical ideas about abundance, sustainability, and well-being. You will be invited to share your own experiences and solutions with fellow attendees during small group break-out sessions.  Keynote speakers include Majora Carter, Timothy J. Gorringe, David C. Korten, Nestor O. Miquez and Miriam MacGillis.

I can recoomed the Korten talk. I shall check out the others.... but before I do I want to share the thought that has got clearer to me after his talk and thinking about the title of this conference: we do so need to imagine how things could be better in a sustainable, time-rich, new economy society. We need to talk about it with others and get all of us away from the stories that close down any hopeful option for the future. I'm for abundance (and that's different from shopping...)

The psychology of blame

The very idea of being "on the hook" makes me wince so the thought of being "off the hook"it is very attractive. I have been reflecting during this time of study leave how we often create a mental world where whatever's wrong is the other (blighter)'s fault.

The trouble with my area of study is that it doesn't really allow for "the other". Christianity says we are all made in the image of God, and ecology says we are all part of the earth. So blaming the other guy gets difficult. The other is our brother/sister or a member of the same community of creation. True, their attitude and behaviour may be what Christians call sinful, but we can't write them off. There will be a mote in  my own eye for sure if not a plank !

Writing up the research I have been doing with my excellent co-researchers in Liverpool reminds me of this. At various times our conversation would turn to those Chinese building all those power stations, or the madness of consumerism, as if we weren't part of the problem too. (to be sure tho' -  much of the time we were very self-critical. And painfully so ..)

It's very hard to live with climate change and to be reminded that we are part of the problem. We want to be off the hook. An article on nuclear power today in the Guardian suggests we project our fear and anger elsewhere. We blame nuclear power rather than the more humdrum coal.

We would do well to be aware of the games we play to get us off the hook. Sure we're guilty - but there's freedom in the honesty of facing these truths. Then we can act responsibility and hopefully. I pray for the grace to be aware and honest.

Changing the truth - Peer pressure

Two strands of thought have come together for me this morning. I was reading about how Margaret Thatcher, in 1990 made the conservative case for climate action but by 2003 had shifted her position.

In 1990 Global warming was, she argued, “real enough for us to make changes and sacrifices, so that we do not live at the expense of future generations.”. But by 2003 she was calling climate action a “marvelous excuse for supra-national socialism". This is all recorded on the Grist website.

Why the shift for Margaret ? Is the answer peer pressure?  It's not just politicians who follow the pack, we all do. To step outside of the reassurance and identity of the group you belong to, takes courage. It seems that Margaret Thatcher was influenced by right wing think-tanks. And I don't imagine that the ordinary conservative voter wanted to hear about the need to change lifestyle. (None of us do.... )

The other strand was hearing about Hannah Arendt's and the trial of Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem in 1961.  I understand that her thesis, as presented in her journalism then in the book "Eichmann in Jerusalem: A report on the banality of evil" is that ordinary people who carry out the law as it is and conform to mass opinion, are part of the evil. (I feel more comfortable using the word "Sin". It's in the same ball-park as evil 'though)

Behind this is a truth. We often do a lot of bad stuff just following the crowd.

We can scape-goat our politicians to try and make us feel better - but the truth is that we are each prone to doing nothing, changing our minds, and going with the pack.