Resolution: dieting for justice
Last week a friend gave me the complement of saying, "if the world were filled with guys like you, it would be a better place." I immediacy responded, "oh no, there would'nt be enough resources to feed all of us."
Now although I am only kidding, there's a degree of truth to that statement. I'm often reminded of Gandhi's famous quote, "be the change you want to see in the world" which can be taken to mean, model a life that reflects the world you want to see. Now if we are really going to take that seriously, in light of the realities of scarcity and environmental abuse, we have to talk about sustainability as a justice issue. I'm not just talking about environmental sustainability but also economic sustainability. And I'm not just talking about money but also about food and even property. To model the kind of world we'd like to see, we have to be serious about these issues which means that it has to go beyond simply being nice to each other. It has to be about living a life that, if it were lived by the whole world, would be somewhere in the realm of possibility. The kind of excess which many of us enjoy is simply not sustainable. If everyone lived like we do, we'd need a few more planet earths--well turns out we've just got the one.
Today I stepped on the scale for the first time in a while (always a red flag) and though I was not surprised at the numbers, I was disappointed. The scale read close to 350lbs. Now if you know me, you know I'm a big guy (glad to say I carry it well... People don't usually guess over 300lbs) but that's getting out of hand. I realized the sheer hypocrisy reflected in those numbers. Do you know how much one must consume in order to reach that degree of mass?! It's simply not sustainable. And though I preach fair trade and talk about making decisions on behalf of and loving the "least of these," I have not allowed my ideology to affect my lunch order.
So, although I'm not in to "resolutions" for the sake of resolutions... I am resolving from this day to live a life that reflects my hope. I am going to lose some weight this year... Not because it'll make me a more attractive person and not because I'm worried about my health (although those are quite important, especially if you ask my wife) but because it is just and good for those on the under-side of the economic system. It is a reflection of another world, the Olam Haba, the world to come.
Now although I am only kidding, there's a degree of truth to that statement. I'm often reminded of Gandhi's famous quote, "be the change you want to see in the world" which can be taken to mean, model a life that reflects the world you want to see. Now if we are really going to take that seriously, in light of the realities of scarcity and environmental abuse, we have to talk about sustainability as a justice issue. I'm not just talking about environmental sustainability but also economic sustainability. And I'm not just talking about money but also about food and even property. To model the kind of world we'd like to see, we have to be serious about these issues which means that it has to go beyond simply being nice to each other. It has to be about living a life that, if it were lived by the whole world, would be somewhere in the realm of possibility. The kind of excess which many of us enjoy is simply not sustainable. If everyone lived like we do, we'd need a few more planet earths--well turns out we've just got the one.
Today I stepped on the scale for the first time in a while (always a red flag) and though I was not surprised at the numbers, I was disappointed. The scale read close to 350lbs. Now if you know me, you know I'm a big guy (glad to say I carry it well... People don't usually guess over 300lbs) but that's getting out of hand. I realized the sheer hypocrisy reflected in those numbers. Do you know how much one must consume in order to reach that degree of mass?! It's simply not sustainable. And though I preach fair trade and talk about making decisions on behalf of and loving the "least of these," I have not allowed my ideology to affect my lunch order.
So, although I'm not in to "resolutions" for the sake of resolutions... I am resolving from this day to live a life that reflects my hope. I am going to lose some weight this year... Not because it'll make me a more attractive person and not because I'm worried about my health (although those are quite important, especially if you ask my wife) but because it is just and good for those on the under-side of the economic system. It is a reflection of another world, the Olam Haba, the world to come.
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