This morning I began a new book. I have been looking forward to reading Barbara Kingsolver's new book Animal, Vegetable and Miracle since first knowing of its existence. So this morning I treated myself to opening the front cover and commencing to read. Though I have only read a very small portion, I recommend this to you. While at Janet's the other evening I voiced a thought concerning how we could try to connect our children to the earth through a summer gardening project (possibly as a different way to teach love of earth and creation). Barbara's latest book confirms this as something we should be doing. Everywhere I turn I am reminded that this is a focus we are missing. I read my brother-in-law's "Earth Focus", I hear my nephew's thoughts concerning grazing on the family farm, I have seen the pictures of young children working a community garden, I see the gas prices skyrocketing, I see the bulldozers indiscriminately reshaping the land, I see fertile farmland being subdivided or covered with black top, etc. What I don't see is the church taking a very proactive stance to protect and guard God's beautiful earth and teaching our children stewardship of God's earth Recently I have really been hit over the head and am feeling nudged and/or clobbered with this as a focus for some exciting teaching opportunities. I am not sure of the the hows and the wheres etc. but I am sure this is something we should be pursuing. The night the children came to my home for our end of the year party, I was delighted to see their utter enjoyment of having an open green space in which to run and frolic. I fear their experiences with the joys of nature are too few. Enough preaching. Please ponder. Mary
I also recommend Last Child in the Woods-Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv. This is in our church library.
2 comments:
Amen! No matter how long and hard one ponders, the only workable answer to saving our "FUTURE" is for everyone in the "PRESENT" to have a lower standard of living, beginning immediately. I am gonna' try to beat this seemingly dead horse until it plows....We all need to be thankful that the master plan has always been to take advantage of our "DAILY BREAD". We only have enough wisdom to be responsible stewards of a little bit at a time and a little bit OF TIME. Christians have always known that they would be called on to sacrifice. If you have not started yet, there is nothing to fear. We were created to be able to live on this planet without air-conditioning, if we care for the planet properly. Do I hear, "by the sweat of his brow" echoing around in there somewhere. Make it simple. Make it soon. Make it last.
Oooh! Where have I been? Didn't know Kingsolver had a new one out!
And I agree with Aunt Mary's sentiments.
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