Laudato Si Sunday Reflection: The value of labour on the First Sunday of Advent

Today's reflection is brought to you by
Romans 13: 11-14.

You call us now,
O God,
to wake up.

Too much time has already passed
since we saw
that glaciers are melting,
since we heard
of species reaching extinction,
since we smelled the smoke
of out of control wildfires,
since we felt our hearts break
for climate refugees
with nowhere to go.

The night is far gone, the day is near.

We are called by Saint Paul
to put on the armour of light
and avoid the distractions
our world offers,
to face the challenges ahead of us
by putting on your spirit,
O Christ.

Help us to find the necessary balance
between what is and what can be
so that you will find us ready
to do your will every day.

+Amen

* * * * * * *

This week we're looking at "The need to protect employment," paragraphs 124-129 of Pope Francis's most recent encyclical, Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home, which can be accessed by clicking here. Basically, this section is looking at how an ecology that cares for creation must also be aware of the necessity of labour in our lives, and how our work can aid -- or hinder -- our planet in its fruitfulness. Paragraph 124 notes that "Developing the created world in a prudent way is the best way of caring for it, as this means that we ourselves become the instrument used by God to bring out the potential which he himself inscribed in things."

Paragraph 125 underlines the importance of a "correct understanding of work." If we understand human labour correctly, we see that it is underpinned by our relationship with God, with others and with all created things. Early spiritual communities were more organic and carbon neutral than we are today, and every year there are more Black Friday events that encourage us to find our meaning in possessions rather than in spiritual fulfillment with God and community. For early Christians, "Personal growth and sanctification came to be sought in the interplay of recollection and work." For us, "This way of experiencing work makes us more protective and respectful of the environment; it imbues our relationship to the world with a healthy sobriety," says the end of paragraph 126.

Unfortunately, this kind of simplicity has been overtaken by the idea that our personal growth and fulfillment can only be found in what we possess rather than in how we make the world a better place by how and who we are: "once our human capacity for contemplation and reverence is impaired, it becomes easy for the meaning of work to be misunderstood," as St. Pope John Paul noted in his writings (footnote 101). Since work became a means to more money and possessions rather than a way to foster community and participate in God's creation of a just world, the overuse of our planet's resources has rapidly increased. "Work should be the setting for... rich personal growth, where many aspects of life come into play: creativity, planning for the future, developing our talents, living out our values, relating to others, giving glory to God" (paragraph 127).

When human labour doesn't meet the above-mentioned criteria, it can feel like drudgery, and when it is taken out of our hands by misdirected governments or technology, that's not good either. Paragraph 128 says, "The goal should not be that technological progress increasingly replace human work.... Yet the orientation of the economy has favoured a kind of technological progress in which the costs of production are reduced by laying off workers and replacing them with machines. This is yet another way in which we can end up working against ourselves... "through the progressive erosion of social capital: the network of relationships of trust, dependability, and respect for rules"" that Pope Benedict noted in his 2009 encyclical, Caritas in Veritate.

With all the recent news about the coming layoffs of civil servants in my province, this sentence stopped me in my tracks:

...we forget about the value of labour as a means for providing "meaning of life on this earth, a path to growth, human development and personal fulfillment.... To stop investing in people, in order to gain greater short term financial gain, is bad business for society""(paragraph 128).

And the answer to this concern? Pope Francis says,

Civil authorities have the right and duty to adopt clear and firm measures in support of small producers and differentiated production. To ensure economic freedom from which all can effectively benefit, restraints occasionally have to be imposed on those possessing greater resources and financial power.... Business is a noble vocation... especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good (paragraph 129).

I'm tempted to send my premier a copy of Laudato Si! The fact that the phrase "the common good" comes up almost 30 times in the encyclical is significant -- because many human beings (including our provincial government) have become so focused on the economy as the bottom line, rather than what is necessary for the good of ALL. Too many of us have forgotten that we need to serve the common good if we want to have meaningful lives.

As this Advent begins, I intend to pay attention to where I can best serve the common good and how I can find where my life's work can bring benefit to the life of the world God gave us as pure gift. Realizing that we are gifted by God, and speaking up for those who are less fortunate is the best way to celebrate the birth of Christ in our world. I plan to write my premier a letter about his layoffs.

On a different note, I offer this little piece I wrote for our parish bulletin for your consideration on this First Sunday of Advent:

When preparing for Christmas, consider our planet:

-buy less and use fewer resources – one gift per person is more than enough if we make Christmas about togetherness (presence) rather than presents.

-give the gift of experiences – a local concert or play, an art class, or an activity designed to develop an appreciation for nature.

-contact your politicians and ask them to save and protect Our Common Home, especially its natural areas (and its doctors, nurses, social workers and teachers, on whom we rely for so much that is important).

-spend love miles rather than Airmiles. Plan less travel in the new year, and try taking a stay-cation to appreciate local attractions.

O God, 

help us to care for our planet this Christmas.

+Amen.

CANCELLED -- "A Sacred & Simple Christmas" Workshop

I can't stop sneezing, my nose keeps dripping unexpectedly, and my voice is only about half-strength (and about an octave lower than usual). I have my first cold in two years. So I've had to cancel today's Christmas workshop, sorry to say. My apologies to those who might show up for it because they haven't seen Facebook or this moodling.

The point of the workshop, of course, on this Black Friday Weekend, is to point out that consumer culture has really sold us a bill of goods when it comes to celebrating Christmas. We've been conditioned to believe that it's all about buying each other presents, eating, drinking and being merry  to the point of excess. But we already have enough stuff, and the only gifts in the original Christmas story were those brought by the Magi to a dirt-poor family who were about to flee persecution.

There's nothing wrong with celebration in these darkest days of the year -- but as with anything good, moderation is key. And even though marketers are doing their darndest to convince us that the economy is the bottom line and we all need to support it by our Christmas shopping, I'd like to put a bug in your ear: take the money you were thinking about spending this Black Friday Weekend, and give it to a homeless shelter, or an organization that helps newcomers, or, if you prefer, a facility that supports war veterans and their families. The economy is only important in the way it serves the least among us, and it doesn't do that very well.

True Christmas gifting isn't about us, it's about those in need.

Laudato Si Sunday Reflection: What the Ruler of the Universe wants for Christmas

Today's reflection is brought to you by

Colossians 1:15-17.

You, 

O Christ,

are God,

and you reveal God to us

in all that you have created.

In you,

all was, 

is, 

and will be created,

beyond our telescopes and microscopes.

Nothing exists apart from you;

we all come from you

and depend upon you

for our very substance

and our every breath.

The powerful have no power before you

and the weak have all their strength because of you.

You hold everything together,

yet we behave as though everything depends on us.

Help us to remember

You are in charge,

and to withhold our judgments

in favour of yours.

May your reign, 

your justice 

come to us all

and save us.

Help us to see and do

your will,

and to give you

what you really want

for Christmas this year.

+Amen.

* * * * * * *

Consider yourself warned -- in this week's paragraphs of Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home, Pope Francis and his encyclical writing team bring out a dog's breakfast (British slang meaning a confused mess or mixture) of issues that our world isn't handling particularly well due to the fact that many of us give priority to personal interest rather than the common good.

I'm focusing on paragraphs 120-123 of Laudato Si, which can be found by clicking here and scrolling down. Only four paragraphs today because a fifth would take us into a different topic which we'll cover next week.

As the seventh chorus of Laudato Si reminds us in paragraph 120, everything is interrelated and all of God's creation -- from the human embryo to his mother to the oilsands worker to the wildlife that lives near the tailings pond -- all are important and really, how can we assign them particular value, especially when we are not God and we can't see the Big Picture?

When human beings try to play God and make decisions about who should thrive and who should die; when practical relativism says, "it is inconvenient, therefore it must go"; when we devalue life in any form, we end up with a dog's breakfast "whereby different attitudes can feed on one another, leading to environmental degradation and social decay" (paragraph 122).

Let's backtrack a moment to practical relativism. Basically, it has to do with seeing everything in life in terms of how it serves my personal interest. It's interesting to me that practical relativism really took hold during the age of the 'me generation' which is comprised of people my age and older.

The world's present leadership came of age in a time when there was mostly peace and prosperity in the Western World, and many of us developed a sense that we had worked hard for our wealth and security, forgetting that there were others like us in poorer and more dangerous parts of the world who were working just as hard or even harder, but were unable to reach our standards of living because of many factors beyond their control (some of those factors created by our high standard of living). Some of us have lost sight of the fact that everything we have is blessing and gift from God, and now think that because we can afford it, we are entitled to a life of luxury and convenience, and that the world revolves around us and our desires.

But it doesn't, and it shouldn't. All God's creatures should be as fortunate as we are, and we shouldn't rest on our prosperity until they are.

In paragraph 123 we read that "The culture of relativism is the same disorder which drives one person to take advantage of another, to treat others as mere objects, imposing forced labour on them or enslaving them to pay their debts." And it leads to the dog's breakfast which we see in our newspapers almost daily (some of which is named by Pope Francis and friends in the continuation of paragraph 123):

abortion
sexual exploitation of children
abandonment of the elderly
human trafficking
organized crime
the drug trade
commerce in blood diamonds and endangered species
buying of organs of the poor for resale or experimentation
elimination of unwanted children
(and this list hardly begins to account for the hardships faced by other species... like loss of habitat, pollution of soil, water, and air, climate change, etc.)

And all of it, all of it, springs from our inability to really appreciate the value of life in its many forms. If I have a bone to pick with Pope Francis and those who helped to write Laudato Si, it is that is that they fail to acknowledge that we humans might need to employ some form of reliable birth control to limit our numbers for the sake of all earth's species, all God's creatures.

Be that as it may, I completely agree when they note that

[relativism's] "use and throw away" logic generates so much waste, because of the disordered desire to consume more than what is really necessary. We should not think that political efforts of the force of law will be sufficient to prevent actions which affect the environment because, when the culture itself is corrupt and objective truth and universally valid principles are no longer upheld, then laws can only be seen as arbitrary impositions or obstacles to be avoided (paragraph 123).

A quick word about our "use and throw away" logic as we come toward Christmas -- could this year be the year to do what Christ suggests we do for the poor and marginalized among us? To offer a different sort of gift?

How shall we celebrate your upcoming birthday,

Ruler of the Universe?

You give no directives

about spending so much on gifts

or cooking massive meals.

Instead you remind us:

“I was hungry and you gave me food,

thirsty and you gave me a drink,

a stranger and you welcomed me,

naked and you clothed me,

sick and you cared for me,

in prison and you visited me.” (Matt 25: 35-36)

You can’t get more direct than that.

Help us to be your compassion this Christmas.

+Amen.

A "Sacred & Simple Christmas" workshop

If you're in the Edmonton area, you're invited to spend Buy Nothing Saturday afternoon (November 30th) to give some thought to more meaningful ways to observe Christmas this year.

So many of our Christmas "traditions" were invented by people who wanted to make money from our desire to make the season really special. You don't have to be part of Assumption parish to join us in discovering ways to make Christmas less commercial and more meaningful. All are welcome!

Icing-sugared trees

On Tuesday evening, we had a lovely gentle snowfall of rather wet snow that stuck to the trees, not quite like hoarfrost, but pretty all the same. Shadow and I went for a walk to take pictures before the sun melted it all. As it's been a while since I've posted any wintry beauty, I thought I'd indulge today, and put some pretty snow at the top of my moodlings against our gorgeous winter blue sky. Enjoy!

Laudato Si Sunday reflection: Calling for what the world needs

Today's reflection is brought to you by 
Malachi 4:1-2 and Luke 21: 9-19.

Oh God,
climate change is coming,
already burning like an oven
in some places.

Human apathy,
arrogance,
ignorance,
and greed
have brought us to a point where
much of creation is suffering
in many different ways.

With what will we be left?

The only answer to our plight
is to turn to you,
to work for the good you want for all,
so that your righteousness arises
in us
and all creation knows the healing
in your wings.

Help us to turn to you now.
+Amen.

* * * * * * * 

We're entering section three of Chapter three, "The Crisis and Effects of Modern Anthropocentrism" -- that A word referring to the belief that human beings are the most important creatures on earth as far as our value and intelligence go.

But rather than re-flog the anthropocentrism horse too much (flogging any horse is a rather anthropocentric thing to do, if you think about it), I just want to quickly summarize what Pope Francis and friends are saying in paragraphs 115-119 of Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home (you can read them for yourself by clicking here and scrolling down).

Paragraph 115 -- Our human-centred, technological-minded world view has turned creation into an object to be used in too many peoples' minds -- this is ground that's already been covered, except perhaps for its connection with technological thinking.

Paragraph 116 -- We need to pay attention to reality and its limits and recognize that we are not masters of the earth, but stewards of creation. I dislike the word "stewards" as it still places human beings as managers above creation -- wouldn't it be better to say, co-operators WITH creation?

Paragraph 117 -- "When we fail to acknowledge as part of reality the worth of a poor person, a human embryo, a person with disabilities -- to offer just a few examples -- it becomes difficult to hear the cry of nature itself; everything is connected." There's the chorus of Laudato Si, sung for the sixth time! But again, only mentioning human beings -- there's a problem when we're so stuck on human worth that we fail to acknowledge the importance of everything from aardvarks to zooplankton because we are only worried about human issues. There has to be a balance.

Paragraph 118 -- "There can be no renewal of our relationship with nature without a renewal of humanity itself. There can be no ecology without an adequate anthropology.... Human beings cannot be expected to feel responsibility for the world unless, at the same time, their unique capacities of knowledge, will, freedom and responsibility are recognized and valued." Again, balanced with the concerns of all God's creatures.

Cowichan Bay, BC

Paragraph 119 -- "Our relationship with the environment can never be isolated from our relationship with others and with God. Otherwise, it would be nothing more than romantic individualism dressed up in ecological garb, locking us into a stifling immanence."  But I can't see immanence, the idea that God is present in all material things/beings as stifling -- rather, we are freed from self-absorption when we can see Divine Presence in everything around us. That's where humanity's mind needs to be re-set so that we can do what's needed for the good of everything.

Our relationship with God should never be isolated from our relationship with creation. Otherwise, it's nothing more than romantic individualism dressed up in over-pious garb, locking us into a religiosity that ignores God's presence in the rest of creation -- and unfortunately, that's where some folks seem to be stuck at the moment -- "our eyes are fixed on heaven; who cares about the earth?"

Connecting these paragraphs of Laudato Si with this Sunday's Gospel reading somehow isn't much of a stretch for me. Imagine Jesus saying something like this to us:

When you hear of and see pollution and climate change disruptions, do not be terrified. These things must take place first, before human beings wake up and take their responsibility for the earth and each other seriously. Fires, floods and all sorts of disasters will happen, famines and plagues, and there will be dreadful portents and signs of climate strife. 

But before things get really terrible, some good people will come up with some important plans, and it is up to everyone to put them into practice, especially your political leaders. This will give you an opportunity to push the world into action, to demand necessary changes. I will be with you in words, wisdom and actions that none will be able to contradict. By your endurance, you, with me, will save the world.

Are we ready to call for what the world needs, now?

Something gorgeous for a Friday

This woman, Antoinette, speaks like an artist and a poet from where she lives in the Karoo in South Africa. I love her language (Afrikaans) and the way she lives in harmony with nature and understands the secret to life. For me, watching this beautiful little film is like going up the mountain to visit the wise hermit. Kudos to the videographers for the stunning images. Enjoy.

https://youtu.be/Xup8yGqjYQw

Laudato Si Sunday reflection: A wake-up call

Today's reflection is brought to you by
Psalm 17:1,5,6,8,15.

Hear me
when I cry to you,
O God,
out of my deep love
for all that you have made.

Hold my steps to your path
and keep my feet from slipping
out of your abundant life
and into the death dealt by greed.

I call upon you,
for you,
my Hope,
will bend down to answer me.

All of your creation
is the apple of your eye;
protect it
in the shadow of your wings.

May we all behold your face
in the beauty of all that you have made --
every snowflake,
every sunrise,
every sequoia,
every songbird,
every sperm whale,
every small child.

When we see you in all things,
we shall truly be awake --
and satisfied.

Wake us up from our delusions of grandeur
and show us that we already have enough.

+Amen.

* * * * * * * 

Last week, instead of reflecting on Paragraphs 111-114 of Laudato Si, (which can be accessed by clicking here and scrolling down) I was discovering God in spawning salmon and a sea lion choir (well, maybe that's a generous description of the sounds they made!) This week I've been looking at the last four paragraphs from the section, The Globalization of the Technocratic Paradigm.

Pope Francis and friends are calling us to recognize that technology has its good points, but that giving it complete power over the way we live, think, and act is a huge issue that our world needs to face. The two-pronged belief that technology is the answer to our planet's every issue and that technological convenience is essential to every part of our lives has brought us to Monday, where 11,258 scientists declared a climate emergency because, as the encyclical says, "a series of urgent and partial responses to the immediate problems of pollution, environmental decay and the depletion of natural resources" (paragraph 111) is clearly not going to save us.

What's required is "a distinctive way of looking at things, a way of thinking, policies, an educational programme, a lifestyle and a spirituality which together generate resistance to the assault of the technocratic paradigm" (paragraph 111). It's going to take more than scientists to get us out of the mess we're in. We all need to do as Henri Nouwen suggests in the quote to the right.

Pope Francis rightly notes that "We have the freedom needed to limit and direct technology; we can put it at the service of another type of progress, one which is healthier, more human, more social, more integral" (paragraph 112).

And I am hopeful that this will happen -- in fact, I am seeing it happening more and more. At the beginning of our family's journey into a life of less consumption and more meaning thirteen years ago, it felt as though we were constantly swimming against a tide of non-essentials that marketers told us we needed for happiness' sake. But in the last few years, there's been a huge uptick in common sense as people realize that happiness actually means owning less, living smaller, protecting the planet and enjoying a healthier, more balanced life. Recent increases in vegetarianism and veganism are a literal rethinking of consumerism. And there are dozens of other examples -- slow food, tiny homes, permaculture, you-name-it!

I love these lines at the end of paragraph 112, which notes the awareness that is creeping into our world:

An authentic humanity, calling for a new synthesis, seems to dwell in the midst of our technological culture, almost unnoticed, like a mist seeping gently beneath a closed door. Will the promise last, in spite of everything, with all that is authentic rising up in stubborn resistance? 

Yes! I want to shout... But... Technology has offered humanity so many amazing gadgets and gizmos -- the "novelties" mentioned in paragraph 113 -- that we've become distracted from living lives of depth and meaning. The "constant flood of new products" are simply "new forms of escapism to help us endure the emptiness" because, in our distraction, we have forgotten how to deeply appreciate what we already have. Pope Francis and his encyclical team clearly ask that we get back to authenticity -- that we "refuse to resign ourselves to this [escapism], and continue to wonder about the purpose of life and meaning of everything."

Here is the beginning of the BOLD CULTURAL REVOLUTION (the Pope's words, my uppercase) that the world needs. Perhaps we've let science and technology take on God's saving role in the world, but we can return to the God of peace and justice who acts through us -- through our appreciation for creation's wonders and our efforts to improve the lives of every being on earth by reducing our consumption, sharing our riches, and cleaning up after ourselves.

The final line of paragraph 114 says it perfectly:

Nobody is suggesting a return to the Stone Age, but we do need to slow down and look at reality in a different way, to appropriate the positive and sustainable progress which has been made, but also to recover the values and great goals swept away by our unrestrained delusions of grandeur.

Can we see and appreciate our many blessings? Can we reject those delusions of grandeur that fill us with a sense of entitlement until all of creation is cared for? Can we live in harmony and solidarity with creation and our sisters and brothers in the developing world?

Gratitude and the desire for justice for all are where BOLD CULTURAL REVOLUTION begins... and it only begins with us.

The Ridge Key Phoenix

One year ago today, my friend, Allie, lost her home and business to the Camp Fire at Paradise, California. Allie is a force for positivity and good in the world, a warm, loving person who draws people into her gentle and fun-loving presence like a magnet draws iron. Today, November 8th, is an emotional day for her and everyone involved with the healing and rebuilding of Paradise, as there will be different events marking a very difficult anniversary.

I spoke with Allie this morning, and she reminded me of the video she shared to her Facebook page earlier this week. I decided to share it here because Jesse Mercer's idea is inspired, brilliant, and life-giving. It's a sign of the resilience of the people of Paradise, and a reminder that art inspires healing, community, and hope. I wish I could be there this morning to see it unveiled because though the pictures are amazing, they can't really give a sense of the sculpture's size, scope and meaning. If you have the time, please watch to the end -- you'll get a better sense of what an artwork like this means.

My prayers today are for the many people of California who are climate change refugees because of so many terrible fires, and especially for those from Paradise, that they may find strength and goodness as they rebuild their lives in many different ways.

https://youtu.be/mi-M1g4fAJU

Awesome eagles, spawning salmon, and lazy sea lions

This past weekend was a somewhat significant birthday for my husband, who decided that since he'd never done anything really interesting for his November birthday, he wanted to go somewhere warmer. Because we practice Voluntary Simplicity, tropical vacations are not something we consider much. It's bad enough adding to greenhouse gas emissions just to drive from one place to another.

So our trip was a one-and-a-half hour flight (bad enough when 11,000 scientists are telling us we're in a climate emergency!) to Vancouver Island to visit my husband's brother and his wife (who moved out there over the summer). The bonus was that I also got to see my best friend (for the third time this year). It was a really wonderful birthday weekend, complete with decadent birthday carrot cake, great conversation, and good hikes. We climbed Mount Tzouhalem, and a bald eagle even flew up to our height to wish Lee a happy birthday.

https://youtu.be/GVSACuRVWC8

Our other encounters with nature were also serendipitous. Our trip happened to fall within the ten days that salmon spawn in Goldstream River, so we went to witness the perpetuation and ending of the life cycle of the creatures as they made their way upriver to deposit their eggs and ultimately, die, leaving their bodies to feed eagles, seagulls, and other sea life...

https://youtu.be/8BiGk-RryGk

And we were just as lucky to witness some of that other sea life when we headed to Cowichan Bay for supper. There, on the outer marina docks were hundreds of California sea lions, well-fed thanks to the salmon, snoozing in the late afternoon sun, breaking out in frequent cacophonous choruses of sea lion song. But what happens below made us dock-watchers chuckle almost as much as their singing did...

https://youtu.be/FkZyHNVrR2o

Clearly, as hikers and nature-lovers, we couldn't have asked for a better birthday weekend.

Come to a smashing event

Last year, the folks at Compost 'S cool were brainstorming about events to involve Edmontonians in more composting. One brilliant member of the team thought it would be fun to invite people to come out after Hallowe'en and to bring their jack o'lanterns to Compost 'S cool for a Pumpkin Smash and composting event. They thought if a dozen people showed up with their pumpkins, they could call it a success.

They were pretty modest in their expectations... and 300 people brought 500 pumpkins to that first event, and had a wonderful time demolishing their jack o'lanterns and turning them into compost. The pile of composting pumpkins was almost five feet high (you see it in the picture above). Below, there's a little video of my friend Markster Composter turning it about 5 months later...

https://www.facebook.com/CompostScool/videos/638309043278045/?t=41

I always turn my pumpkins into pumpkin soup, muffins, and peanut butter pumpkin dog biscuits that Shadow-pup absolutely loves... but if you aren't inclined to use yours for cooking or baking, I think a pumpkin smash sounds like a lot of fun (and it keeps pumpkins out of the landfill while making great compost for enriching soil)! It's a free event, a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon, and all are welcome. If you go, say hi to Markster for me!