Tip #3 Sharing in Community

Green Living: a series in which we provide tips to help you implement practices, habits, and products into your life which respect and work towards the redemption of God’s creation.
 
In the wake of the Super Bowl, I find myself filled with the desires to fill my life with all sorts of new things that I desperately need:  a portable TV to make shopping trips much more bearable, a car that fends of the green police, and lots and lots of chips.  Not a huge fan of football, I find myself watching the commercials more than the game.  The more I watch, the more I desire to pursue the American dream and accumulate more and more stuff.  I want toys, movies, tools, technology, entertainment, cars, and on and on.  I want piles and piles of stuff.

Of course, this stands directly in contrast to my Christian faith.  Our purpose in this world is not to amass gobs of stuff nor money.  Our purpose, rather, is to live in light of the redemption that comes through Jesus Christ and serve God’s kingdom.  One prime  example of this is the community we see depicted in Acts 2 and 4 – the community that shared everything they had in common. 

Why do we not share anymore?  Why do we each need our own lawnmower, bike pump, edition of Frankenstein, or copy of Zoolander?  Why have we gotten sucked into the desire to feed our craving for an inordinate amount of temporal stuff when we have eternal treasures that await?

At Creation Hope, one of our core values is sharing.  Not only is this biblical, but it enables us to care for God’s creation. Hence, why it is the green living tip for today.

[Read on to discover more about how we can share in the 21st century.]

In our culture it is no longer easy to share.  Even when we want to, others still want their very own item or we find it inconvenient.  Well, it is time to rebel against our desires for more and more and restore the communal value of sharing.  It is time to rebel against our culture.  It is time to rebel against the American dream and replace it with the Kingdom of God dream.  You see, the Kingdom of God dream calls us to live for God and others; not for more gadgets, wealth, or fame.  Are we not to die to ourselves?

I know this is not easy.  Not only from the standout of the major paradigm shift it means we must make in our lives but even from simple logistics.  Our church communities are often spread out geographically.  We live busy lives with conflicting schedules.  We often don’t know what others even have available to share.

At the same time, however, we have so many advantages over previous generations.  We have easy access to a variety of communication forms that make it quick and easy to locate items we need or share items we have.  The internet is an incredible resource for sharing.  We must learn to leverage the great opportunities that these resources provide.

So, here are a few ways that we can share in the 21st century (though there are certainly many more):

1. Libraries – It is not much more difficult to locate a particular book in a local library than to find said book on Amazon or in a local store.  To be honest, being in school so long and just having succombed to consumer culture, I had forgotten and ignored this incredible resource for years.  That said, I have recently rediscovered the beauty that is the public library.  As a parent, it is a great way to get access to other expensive children’s books (especially books in Spanish).  Also, it has been a great resource while navigating the complex process of setting up Creation Hope as a non-profit organization.  We have not had to purchase a single book but have had utilized quite a few during this process. Check out all that your local branch has to offer.

2. Websites and Social Media – With so many of us online everyday (and often throughout the day) there is no reason that we cannot make better use of these things.  A Facebook group could easily be leveraged to provide a mechanism through which to share resources within a community.  A few months back I happened to get in on the ground floor when NeighborGoods launched their site.  This site (currently only available for use in the greater Los Angeles area) allows people to share and borrow items with their neighbors.  You choose what you are willing to share and who you will share it with.  Then the site will track for you who has your stuff.  You can even create a sharing group within which to share.  I am sure there are other similar sites available or popping up soon. Find which of these resources works for you.

3. Be in Community – As each community is different there is no one solution or technology that will enable us to share effectively.  So talk to your community.  Hold a meeting with your small group, church, or neighbors.  Discover how you can better share resources and avoid buying costly (financially and environmentally) new items.  Make a list of who has what.  Make arrangements and schedules.  At some point, in order to live as a community of believers we actually have to be in community with one another.  Technology alone is not the solution.  Rather, the goal is to live in true community with one another, sharing with each other.  Friends, seek to live and share in true community.

Also consider:

Green Living: #2 – Reuse Your Booty

Green Living: #1 – Turn off those lights

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