Explorations in Just Living
About this blog
Welcome to the blog of the Enough for Everyone program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). By "just living" we mean both justice-based living and just simply living – freeing ourselves from the clutter of stuff so we can focus on living faithfully and living well. Join us in the exploration!
About the Author
Bryce Wiebe coordinates Enough for Everyone, a ministry of the Presbyterian Hunger Program. He loves slow food and is fascinated by the way things are made. He is excited to dive into experiments in simplicity with you. His sacred cow of consumption: kitchen gadgets.
Recent posts
- Songs of Justice: Magnificant
- Thanksgiving invitation and Children's sermon
- Children's Sermon for Food Week of Action
- A Cycling Meditation
- Bryce Bikes: update!!
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Thinking Sustainably About Thanksgiving
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, it is time to think about ways in which our celebrations can be made more sustainable.
Thanksgiving is a uniquely American celebration. It has changed considerably since the first Thanksgiving, a three day harvest celebration attended by the Wampanoag Indians and Plymouth colonists sometime between September 21 and November 11. In the intervening centuries the American lifestyle has also changed as Europeans crossed the continent leaving settlements in their wake. The second half of the twentieth century has seen a displacement of rural farmers to the nation's cities. In fact, the number of cities with a population of more than 50,000 increased from 157 in 1950 to 452 in 2000.
Increased urbanization has changed the way we get together and how we celebrate on Thanksgiving.
First, as more people move away from rural America they lose their connection with food production and the land. Gone is the knowledge and the first hand experience of the plants and animals that provide the meal on which we feast. As far as many of us know, Turkeys come from the freezer and cranberries are shaped like a can, ridges and all. With the distance between rural America and the nation's cities comes a lessened appreciation for the fruits of the soil.
The second effect urbanization has had on Thanksgiving is an increase in highway miles. Not only is our food shipped over thousands of miles of asphalt and from all directions but our families are so spread out that many of us have to travel hundreds of miles to see parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles. It's no wonder that we used 9,017,000 barrels of gasoline per day during November 2007.
This year explore ways to make your holiday celebration more sustainable and less damaging to God's creation. Because the holidays are social events, enlist others to make changes with you. Plan a pre-holiday get together with friends, family or coworkers to discuss ways in which this holiday season can be less consumptive and more giving. Gather several resources to inform your discussion and distribute them through e-mail or another on-line communication tool before your gathering. (A good starting point is "Alternative Thanksgiving Ideas" a part of Enough for Everyone's Just Living Series.)
Provide simple fair trade snacks from Equal Exchange or make it a family favorite sampler with everybody contributing a portion of a traditional dish or baked good with the recipe to share. Allow time to share stories of holidays past and discuss ways in which holiday celebrations can be less energy intensive while capturing those things that make the time special.
We would love to hear how the discussion goes. You can let us know on the Just Living Share and Connect page or comment below.
- Posted at 9:18 p.m.
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