Waste is in the news.
Can we waste less, and be more 'green' in how we live?
Getting rid of our waste is an increasingly complex business. Some homes have 4 differently colour coded waste bins, and then there are the additional facilities at large supermarket car parks, and the Recycling centres for everything under the sun. It might become possible, if we took the time, to end up with very little actually wasted.
The contrast is striking, when we compare our situation with some parts of the world, such as the slums near Cairo, or on the outskirts of Manilla, where whole communities live and work on the communal rubbish dumps of those great cities.
Rabbi Lionel Blue made an interesting comment the other week. He said, 'Give your rubbish to God. It isn't doing you any good!' His theme had been on how all of us collect 'waste' or rubbish in our lives - disappointments, failures, betrayals, and times when we feel the Lord has been unfair. He had learned, from within his deep depression, that he had been trying to carry around loads of rubbish and waste - and it is killing him!
St. Peter had a similar view. 'Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.' (1 Peter 5.7) Again and again, in the Psalms, we hear the complaints from the Psalmist. 'You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defences.
You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favour.
You have shaken our land and split it open.
Seal the cracks, for the land trembles.
You have been very hard on us,
making us drink wine that sent us reeling. (Psalm 60.1-3)
But then we read of his response to all this rubbish. 'Have you rejected us, O God?
Will you no longer march with our armies?
Oh, please help us against our enemies,
for all human help is useless.
With God’s help we will do mighty things,
for he will trample down our foes. (Psalm 60.10-12)
We could all learn to give to the Lord the rubbish & waste which threatens to destroy us. He will take it, and give us hope.
Best wishes,
Richard
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