"Give less a chance"

Chad Hall is trying, personally and professionally, to move beyond the wasteful, consumeristic values of North American culture. He's learned that doing so comes down to simplifying:

Our society and systems seem incapable of handling the never-ceasing expansion of want and need. Our souls are groaning and the planet is buckling beneath the collateral damage of growth. Landfills are full, the air is thick, and we cannot drink from many of our streams.

In light of our growing problems, maybe the church should give small a chance. I propose that ministry leaders are just the ones to help Christ followers exchange big for small. After all, leaders are supposed to help usher others toward something better (not just something bigger), so maybe we should start ushering folks toward living lives that are less hectic, less cluttered, less selfish, less toxic. And maybe instead of a big ad campaign advertising “LESS!” we should start living with less ourselves. Instead of just preaching it from the pulpit, maybe some personal choices would help slow down the growth, bring some sanity to our lives and make the world more livable.

Amen. For Christians, issues of environmental stewardship should be focused not so much on how consumption damages the planet, as in how it damages the soul. I recommend reading Mr. Hall's whole article--if nothing else, the penultimate paragraph makes the whole essay worthwhile.