Quest: Exploring faith in action by Garratt Publishing

CHRISTMAS EDITION DECEMBER 2014

In this issue... Protecting creation at Christmas Contemplating the meaning of Christmas The ‘Culture of Waste’ Protecting God’s gifts

The experiences that fulfil us during Christmas can create richness in our lives during the year.

Protecting Creation at Christmas By Angela Rutter

“It is fitting to reflect on our responsibility to cultivate and care for the earth in accordance with God’s command (cf. Gen 2:15). We are called not only to respect the natural environment, but also to show respect for, and solidarity with, all the members of our human family.… Consumerism and a ‘culture of waste’ have led some of us to tolerate the waste of precious resources, including food, while others are literally wasting away from hunger.

Deep within us there is a knowing that while we are celebrating life, our current ways of celebration are largely in nature depleting of God’s creation. However the memories which move us, lodged within our hearts and minds for years to follow, are often ones which deeply celebrate and honour the spiritual and caring dimensions of our being.

- Pope Francis, June 5, 2013

‘And God said, “Be fruitful and multiply...and replenish the earth’ - Genesis 1:24 I’ve been thinking about Christmas and memories from recent Christmases past. Like many families today, we have branches across the state, the country and a few scattered overseas. Being together for Christmas over the years means different familial combinations. My strongest and fondest memories are peppered with both the new and the familiar. Seeing a cousin’s newborn for the first time. A poignant conversation with my uncle reminding me that what is common to our family is far deeper

than what is different. Remembering those loved souls no longer with us as we say grace. A walk en masse after lunch enveloped in the day’s distinctly summery warmth, sounds and smells. A feeling of connectedness from the solidarity of others celebrating a common bond, across cultures, geographies and language. Whether new or familiar, my enduring memories are about relationships and experiences shared: what it means to be part of the human ecology and all living things. It is easy to shut off from acknowledging what Pope Francis

has called our ‘culture of waste’, particularly at Christmas time. Block out the piles of packaging and paper to be thrown away, the transient gifts and excess of food, multiplied by many households. Thirty-five per cent of our food at Christmas ends up as waste. Certain temptations

Edit or’s note Welcome to our first edition of Quest, a monthly exploration of contemporary questions and challenges in the context of scripture. It is appropriate that our first edition coincides with the Christmas season – or the ‘silly season’ as it is often called. The way in which we celebrate Christmas has moved so far away from its scriptural origins as to be rendered meaningless to many. For many others, the pressure of the once yearly visit from extended family, the gift giving, the excess food and alcohol – all amount to a very stressful time of the year for humans, as well as for our environment. In this article, Angela Rutter seeks to remind us of the simple joys of Christmas – in a way that relieves pressure on not just ourselves, but our natural world. For when we celebrate the birth of the infant Jesus, we are celebrating creation – life in all its forms. We are celebrating God ‘being born into the world, the first born of all creation’, (Colossians 1:15-20).

Contemplating the meaning of Christmas

in our contemporary culture can distort the message of Christmas. Which temptation distracts you most profoundly? How does this affect you and your family? What fond memories do you have of Christmas past?

The details of Jesus’ birth are important and show us the importance of humility, wisdom and our interconnectedness with all living things. Born into a stable surrounded by animals, while the shepherds kept watch over their flocks, a star shining bright in the sky, lighting the way for the wise men – all of these elements of the nativity story speak to the divine grace of all of creation. Sadly, the commercialisation of Christmas – and increasingly every aspect of our lives – means that in our rush to buy presents, we tend to forget that the greatest gift is love. Christmas is a time for sharing, for reflecting and reminding ourselves – as Pope Francis explains in the enclosed article – that we humans have absolute responsibility in protecting God’s gifts. This Christmas, let us give wholly and sustainably to those around us, and the earth that sustains us.

Regina Lane Publisher

Years ago I made a conscious choice that I wanted my deeds to speak for a life which respects and regenerates creation. While this can be something

Sharing of one’s time, attention, effort and thoughtfulness, is a deeply giving act. It is a true gift from our selves. you hold in your head and your heart, the practice requires creativity, curiosity, faith and persistence for your own behaviour to change. Small changes soon add up to a different kind of daily routine and a different way to living life. Most of all, stepping away from consumer culture to privilege experience gave me back time. Time to wonder, contemplate and share with those I love. This is all the more poignant at Christmas. Sharing of one’s time, attention, effort and thoughtfulness, is a deeply giving act. It is a true gift

from our selves. Our family Christmas just gone was characterised by homemade food brought for the table by all, handmade Christmas crackers with hand-picked jokes, kids spending their first night in a tent, flowers from the garden decorating the table and a treasure hunt for grandparents with their grandchildren in the afternoon. Each of these gifts was an expression of caring for one another. The joy these experiences evoked has been affirmed by Tim Kasser and Ken Sheldon in their paper ‘What makes for a merry Christmas?’ They found that predictors of wellbeing at Christmas time included engaging with family and religious activity, which satisfy our need to relate to others and result in positivity. Conversely, when spending and receiving were a prominent part of the Christmas experience, wellbeing was low. The experiences which fulfil us during Christmas are instructive for creating a richness in our lives during the year. Daily rituals of connection with one another, thoughtfulness, attentiveness and faith are all ingredients for a life well lived. As is often the case, a conscious choice has other pleasant and unanticipated benefits. When I decided to commute to work by public transport it opened up a regular space to pursue my love of reading. Consider your daily routines, how might you move away

The experiences which fulfil us during Christmas can create richness in our lives during the year. from a culture of waste to a culture of communion? How might we express our care for family, friends and creation during times of celebration? How can we cultivate connections & experiences which become rich memories for years to come? How do we contest the modern dictum where we are cast as consumers creating a ‘culture of waste’ as we celebrate life? How might we celebrate deeply the value of the human and environmental ecology in a way that is regenerative during celebrations and beyond, in our day-to-day way of being?

Ideas for action... • Give wholly & deeply your time and attention to someone close to you or in need. Give them a call. • •

Go and see them. Regularly volunteer - either as an individual or a family - with an organisation protecting God’s creation. This could be a homeless shelter, a food service for the elderly, an animal rescue charity or organisation caring for nature. Perform spontaneous acts of kindness. Offer someone help, pay a compliment, make someone smile, give away your change.

Protecting God’s Gifts ‘The vocation of being a “protector”, however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God’s gifts!’ - Pope Francis, March 19, 2013 The Story of Stuff started as a 20 minute animated video created by Annie Lennard and friends. The video is about the way we make, use and throw away stuff and is a good conversation starter for how we reconsider and reconfigure the impact our consumer culture has on our human and environmental ecology. There are other ‘stories’ on The Story of Stuff Project - storyofstuff.org. Watch the film as a family, community group, school class or in other groups you belong to. What were the key messages which connected with you? How will you apply them in your life? Scan this code with your QR Code Reader on your smart device.

How could you apply them as a group?

T hings you can do... Here are some suggestions for living a life which protects God’s creatures and the environment in which we live. Take one at a time. Each change soon adds up to a living a life which respects and protects: •

Move your superannuation into ethical funds and invest in stocks which have strong social and environmental considerations.

•

Give a small, regular percentage of your salary to charity through setting up a direct debit

•

Catch public transport and enjoy the opportunity to read, chat or stare out the window.

•

Support farmers directly through buying local and/or organic food from local suppliers, independents and farmers markets.

•

Reduce your meat intake by having meatless days. Source your meat from suppliers where the animals have been raised humanely and killed ethically, where the animal has had a good life and one bad day.

•

Grow some vegetables and herbs at home or join a community garden.

Feedback? Contact quest@garrattpublishing.com.au Author: Angela Rutter is Director of Engagement at the Australian Conservation Foundation. She is Co-founder of Common

Cause Australia, a network of people working to engage cultural values for a more equitable, sustainable and democratic society. Previously she spent over a decade working in advertising.