Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘climate change’

Tired of Broken Systems

At our Bible Study yesterday,
Rev. Mary Grace Reynolds
shared a prayer she found on
the internet somewhere.
It was inspired by Jeremiah 2:13
“They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

The prayer was part of
our Lenten Study last Easter.
It meant a lot to me then…
but is even more meaningful today.
Today I am reaching for answers
to the endless wars
and the destructive climate change
and the hurricanes that are so terrible.
Reaching for answers…
But they escape me
like birds that take flight…
just out of reach!

for when you’re tired of broken systems

Oh God, I am done with broken systems
that break the very people
they are meant to serve.

Harness this anger!
Channel it into worthy action and show me
what is mine to fix and what boundaries to patrol
to keep goodness in and evil out.

Blessed are we who are appalled
that brute ignorance can so easily dominate
over decency, honesty, and integrity.

Blessed are we, who chose not to look away
from systems that dehumanize, deceive, defame, and distort.
We who recognize that thoughts and prayers are not enough.
We who stand with Truth over expediency,
principles over politics,
community over competition.

Oh God, how blessed are we who cry out to you:
Empower us to see and name what is broken,
what is ours to restore.
Guide us to find coherent
and beautiful alternatives
that foster life, hope, and peace.
Help us to use our gifts with one another in unity.

Blessed are we who choose to live in anticipation,
our eyes scanning the horizon
for signs of Your kingdom –
heaven come down –
as we wait.



Heaven come down!
Amen

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, God, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, Poetry, prayer

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There is No Planet B

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More on “What’s Important?“

Yesterday I posted “What’s Important?” and listed concerns that are most important to me. A year ago I might have answered that question far differently. God, Family, Friends… those will always remain high on my list of “What’s Important?”

But yesterday my #1 answer was Climate Change. I am among a growing number of people world-wide who is realizing how real and devastating this issue is.

As a result of my #1 concern being listed as a “tag” on my blog, I had the opportunity to become familiar with a new (to me) blog site: Climate Change Take Action Now. I thank them for leading me to their link: https://newsonclimatechange.com/

When I logged on there, I was delighted to find a link to DiCaprio’s inspirational speech to the United Nations on the climate change topic:

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Moving Speech on Climate Change

Click on that DiCaprio speech. You’ll be glad you did. It will make you want to join the growing movement to raise awareness of climate change – and see what you can do about it.

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Be Informed

To learn more – from a National Geographic scientific perspective, click this link:

https://www.youtube.com/natgeo

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We all need to do what we can to save our planet.

What are some ideas you have
to protect and preserve this earth
for future generations?

Our children and grandchildren
and generations to come
are counting on us!

Photo by Wayne Evans on Pexels.com

Let’s be sure we don’t let them down.

See ya tomorrow.

Category:

children, God, Life and Death, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, nature, Serving One Another, truth

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What’s Important?

So, what’s really important?

Ask yourself that question.

What are the items, ideas, concepts, people, activities that come to mind?

It’s a sobering question in today’s world, an important question to address, and your answer really should direct your thoughts, time, and actions.

What’s My Answer?

Your answer to that important question most likely will be very different from mine. That’s okay, because it is a crucial question – and it needs to be answered personally. Here are my thoughts:

  • Our earth’s survival … especially in light of climate change and the way it is causing floods, earthquakes, forest fires, animal deaths, a reduction of safe human water supply, etc.
  • Our USA democracy’s future; the future of our adherence to the constitution, and the results of the 2020 presidential election
  • Morals… our ability as a people in the world to live in Christ-like love, treating one another with respect and compassion
  • Sharing our resources, caring for one another, using our sense of kindness and our resources and talents to be all God made us to be
  • Tell me what you would add in terms of “What’s Important to You?”

Making a Difference

Even though my list starts out with global and national concerns, and I am committed to doing whatever I can, the place where I feel we can do the most good is on that one-on-one contact. If we look at those giant problems, we sometimes conclude they are too big for us to do anything about them, even though they may be “most important” to us.

So, bottom line, while I support “Pure Love Does” to educate children in third world countries, and I reach out with “Clean Water” donations and other monetary ways to support worthy causes, what’s most important to me is what I do day after day in tangible ways:

What’s Most Important to YOU?

Here’s another of mine:

Share your ideas with me!

Thanks for visiting JanBeek.

See ya tomorrow.

Category:

Life and Death, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, Serving One Another

Tagged with:

Radical Interdependence

Are there any absolutes left? Or is everything in the world relative? Is there such a thing as right and wrong?

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In her blog today, Barbara Franken

Barbara Franken

Barbara Franken, Me, My Magnificent Self

wrote,

“As the weeks, months and years roll quickly by, we observe how the world around us widens the separation of people, organisations, countries, opinions, beliefs… all warring against each other. Extreme opposites and deep conflict is being forged. Yes – No, Light – Dark, Good – Bad, Right – Wrong, This – That, Mine – Yours… each side adamant they are correct!

So who is correct, which side do we choose, which way do we go?“

Photo by Jens Johnsson on Pexels.com

Barbara Franken went on to say,

“Choosing for oneself means choosing love.

Love has no sides, no conflict and honours all.”

It’s interesting that I was reading her blog right after relishing the words of Wm. Coffin and Joanna Macy in Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat’s book, Spiritual Literacy. They quoted Coffin and Macy who wrote:

Yes, we ARE radically interdependent. The actions of each of us has an effect on the rest of us. And there ARE absolutes. There IS right and wrong. And when we see things headed the wrong way:

  • hate vs. love
  • dark vs. light
  • bad vs. good
  • wrong vs. right
  • destruction vs. enhancement
  • falsehood vs. Truth
  • broken vs. working/productive
  • criminal vs. just
  • immoral vs. ethical/principled

… then we know it is time to step up to the plate and do what we can. Do you think, “The problems are too big; who am I to make a difference?”

If so, just look at Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager who is leading global protests demanding action on climate change.

Greta was quoted as saying,

“We will do everything in our power to stop this crisis from getting worse…”

God bless her! Today’s Bozeman Chronicle carried this article about her:

What issue are you passionate about?

How can your voice make a difference?

What can you do? Think about it.

Know that we are indeed

“One World… Radically Interdependent”

… and each of us CAN make a difference.




Will I?
Will you?

See ya later!

Category:

blessings, blogging, life, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, nature, peace, respect, Serving One Another, truth

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