Daily Bread

‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

‘The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

There's something incredibly sad about a house-clearance after someone dies. You have all their 'stuff' that, for the most part, is worthless without their owner. I've been involved in a few that involved multiple trips to the dumpster, thrift store, and secondhand sales market. However, there's nothing wrong with owning stuff, nor saving for a rainy day, so what is Jesus talking about here?

When it comes to any teaching we seek to understand, it can be helpful to go back to our basic values. I've written (and we've discussed) about 'sin' a great deal, where I define it as putting ourselves first at the expense of others and the environment. It's not a perfect definition but it's close enough. The second value is the one found in the book of James, where we read that 'mercy trumps judgment' — i.e. that whenever we have a choice to be merciful or judgmental we are to choose the former. So, what would it mean to apply these values to Jesus' teaching about storing up treasures on earth?

When it comes to making decisions about what to purchase and own, we need to be mindful of how that purchase affects others and the environment. For example, buying food has a massive impact on the environment. Firstly there's the food itself — was it grown and produced sustainably, how many food 'miles' has it travelled, and how is it packaged? Or, when we buy clothes, where were they made, does the manufacturer make ethical use of labour, and what materials are used? Of course, the major question is, "Do I need it?" Much of everything we buy will end up, one day, in landfill — be buried in the ground and covered up. We might be familiar with the mantra, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" but the emphasis should absolutely be on "Reduce".

As Christians living in the 21st Century, we cannot claim to be ignorant of the way our lifestyles and purchase choices affect others and the environment. There are no excuses. It might be almost impossible to live a lifestyle that doesn't have a negative impact on others or the environment, but does that mean we shouldn't try?

Holy God
I am mindful of the way in which
my lifestyle has negatively impacted
others and the world around me.
Forgive me and help me to live
in a way that is sustainable and healthy,
not just for me but for all creation.
Now and forever.