Love our enemies
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We're not limited to February's paper hearts and pretty cards to remind us of love. God's creation is full of reminders—from birds building a nest together to horses grazing companionably to a cat and dog playing with each other and even cuddling up for a nap. Made in the image of God who is love, we are called to love all by caring for creation and justice. 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 in your emails, worship bulletins, newsletters, social media, or website. Talk about what you are doing. You are a trusted source in your circle of influence.
No doubt you are teaching your children or grandchildren that Valentine’s Day is about love. Consider giving them one of God’s creations to love. Browse gifts.worldwildlife.org for the perfect choice. The organization (WWF) offers adoption options for 140 amazing creatures, plus 60 cute plush animals to choose from. Give the gift and talk with your young person about loving all of God’s creatures.
You didn’t ask for it. You don’t want it. Now, you can stop it. Junk mail is not only annoying to you, but it also requires paper, which means trees lose their lives, which ultimately affects the health of the planet. Go to ecocycle.org for how to save yourself and lots of trees. While you are on the site, watch the 7-minute video “Zero Waste Climate Solution.”
Some areas of the U.S. will be harder hit with climate change than others. You may be spared the worst, but others will not escape. We are called to love our neighbors. The coronavirus reminds us of what it means to be in a crisis together. Read about the effects of climate change or listen to a related podcast of the reality your neighbors somewhere else are facing. Add them to your prayers and talk to others about your findings.
Plastic is a problem, but glass is not. Keep your eyes open for reusable glass jars that can work for food and other storage needs. If you find a lingering odor in the original lid, take it outside and leave upside down in the sun for a day or so. When a glass jar has come to the end of its usability, you can recycle it.
When you gather your receipts and other information to do your taxes, you will also have in front of you what you need to calculate your carbon footprint. Search “carbon footprint calculator” on the internet to find one to fill out. What you learn will give you a baseline and incentive to tread more lightly.
With God’s leading, Joseph used the seven years of plenty to store up food, preparing for the coming years of drought and famine (Genesis 40–43). His action served not only the Egyptians but also the surrounding foreigners, including his own family. How might you be a “Joseph,” working now for a better future for all? What are you doing now to address issues around climate change?
Even the smallest action you take for making life on Earth more sustainable is important. But the actions that individuals can control that have the greatest impact are reducing meat consumption, air travel, and driving. Start cutting back on meat one meal at a time. Zoom instead of fly when possible. Think through your options—you can eliminate some car trips.
Write to law and policy makers. In your letter state why this environmental issue is important to you—and to others. Tell your story; speak up for justice. Indicate you are a constituent and a United Methodist Christian. Policy makers pay more attention to personal letters from individuals, and they need to hear a broader religious perspective than they often assume.
When you hear the statistics, you see how giving those you love a reusable (and recyclable) aluminum water bottle is also a way to love the Earth: Landfills already contain more than two million tons of plastic bottles; every year 1.5 million barrels of oil are used to manufacture plastic water bottles; those bottles take more than 1,000 years to biodegrade.
Start your creation justice efforts with John Wesley’s General Rules: Do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. It’s easy to see things to do for the first two. But even if health or other circumstances limit your ability to act, you can do the third: Stay in love with God through prayer for the healing of God’s creation and for justice for all.
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. For more about the UM Creation Justice Movement, go to umcreationjustice.org.