Embracing Kingdom Hope for a Broken World
Green Adventures
Decontamination, Frustration, & Oration
Jun 17th
Wednesday our gulf coast prayer journey took us down to Grand Isle, LA. This is located to the southeast of New Orleans and has been a placed of much activity these last 59 days.
Once there, we first went to Grand Isle State Park where much oil has been spotted. We walked by a camp where many of the cleanup workers were gathered on our way to the beach. What we saw upon arriving was disheartening. Booms stretched as far as the eye could see in each direction. A look beyond the boom revealed that the shores were blackened by the oil. Looking closer you could see not just the globs of oil but some very large chunks as well. As we walked out along the pier small patches of oil were visible floating across the top of the water.
But what made it worse was watching the sea life that was swimming near and through the oil. A stone’s throw from the water’s edge swam shrimp, schools of fish, and dolphins. Additionally, birds were diving into that same water to catch those fish which may well have been contaminated.
I have been reading about how many of the animals have been forced closer to shore to avoid the oil. However, they do not seem to be safe there either. It seems that for many there is nowhere to run.
We also learned that where there used to be a countless supply of crabs running on the shore (to the point that you had to be careful not to have your toes pinched), they are no longer there. “The crabs are all gone,” said one resident.
Now, unless you have special clearance it is illegal to go beyond the boom. But I watched as two people (without permission) crossed the boom to take samples on the shore. Security quickly showed up to make them leave. Not only did they threaten to have them arrested but they were forced to be decontaminated. Apparently they were fortunate because it only took 5 or 10 minutes to scrub off their shoes. I was later told by a BP spokesman that it could take up to 3 hours.
As we worked our way around the island we later hit another part of the Grand Isle beach. Within 5 minutes of reaching the beach, we were approached by no fewer than 3 or 4 security guards. We were sternly (but kindly) warned not to cross the boom. Again, boom 3 layers thick stretched across the shoreline. As I looked at the tar balls before me and the numerous oil rigs in the background I couldn’t help but wonder, “was it just a matter of time before this happened?”
Frustrations ran very high across the island. Economic difficulties are rising. The jobs of many have been called into question. It’s not just about the short term. If you are a fisherman, it could possibly be years and years before being able to resume work in the area. Even those who may not be directly affected feel the trickle down effect of it all. These challenges and the apparent lack of progress in the local cleanup have many frustrated and angry. Some described the people who live there as “depressed.” One woman has been so stressed out about the situation that she has lost 16 pounds as a result. Protests are not unknown, though outside of the passive one pictured below, protests seem to have been replaced with less public anger and frustration. Perhaps that reveals something of their mindset as well.
Everywhere you go people are talking about the spill – about amount of oil, locations, frustrations, economics, science, and more. There are now even snow balls and mixed drinks with names like “tar ball” and “oil spill.” There is no escaping it.
Some who went down to spend the summer on the beach are flat out of luck. Even grandparents have turned their grandchildren away because the beaches and water are no longer available. Life on the island is now changed.
I was also able to spend a few minutes with a BP spokesperson at the local community center which has been taken over by people offering assistance, loans, and answers to questions. Instead of expressing anger (which has been well covered by many others – locally and globally), I chose to hear the positive things they are doing to help this community.
Much of what they are doing in Grand Isle focuses on the needs of the youth. They will create a youth jobs program, sponsor a fireworks display, and build a volleyball court (since there is no longer a beach to play on). They have tried to take ideas originating from the community itself. When asked how people might pray for BP, the spokesperson demonstrated his concern for the community by asking for prayer for the residents first, BP second. While these and other efforts in no way make up for the damage, it is good to know that there are at least a few positive things like this taking place. [More about approaches to BP in the future.]
The last thing we did was to join the members of First Baptist Church, Grand Isle for a Bible study and prayer meeting for the oil spill. The Bible study was a meaningful time where residents, missionaries, a member of the Coast Guard just in from Washington state, and ourselves shared testimonies. We also had an opportunity to hear their concerns, frustrations, and needs.
After the study, we were able to lead a prayer meeting. Before we began in prayer I shared a few thoughts on how God is with us even in these difficult times. Then we – young and old, local and stranger, but all children of God – joined together for a very meaningful time of prayer. This was the most impactful time of the whole day for me. To stand together and express our faith and confidence in the Lord with those who find themselves right in the thick of this tragedy was incredibly powerful.
I cannot put this post up without mentioning the great help of Becca Knight and Katie Newman – two young missionaries who have given their summer to help out First Baptist Church. They gave up their entire day to guide us around the island, make arrangements, and pray with us. We were greatly blessed by the hospitality of these two, their friend Dillon, and the rest of First Baptist Church.
Through the night the following thoughts resounded: God is with us, God is in control, and God is faithful.
More on our prayer journey:
Choppers, Marinas, & Shelters
Jun 15th
Yesterday – day 1 of our oil spill prayer journey through the gulf coast – was just the beginning. With the arrival of day 2 things really kicked into gear.
We worked our way down to the Venice (Louisiana that is) area which is south of New Orleans. There was no big circus, no neon lights, no large signs announcing “Oil Spill Ahead.” In fact, the highway was characterized by calm and verdant scenery. This was broken only by the numerous police cars (to ward off BP protesters?) and round after round of helicopters that were ferrying bags around (presumably sand for the construction of six berms for the barrier island project).
The first stop of the day was at a community prayer center where we took the 
opportunity to pray. The design (including crosses and a prayer alcove built in the shape of the empty tomb) pointed to the great hope of the gospel. We prayed for the area and the effects of the spill, while holding on to that hope.
From there we headed down to the Ft. Jackson Rehabilitation Center where they are working to clean off the birds (pelicans) that have been oiled by the spill. Unfortunately, they were not letting outside groups in today (though we were able to see some of the cleaned birds from a distance). This article from someone granted media access gives a good description of the work they are doing there. Before we left we were able to pass along some encouragement and spend some time praying for this restorative work.
Our next stop was the Venice Marina. Typically the center of much fishing activity, the marina was lifeless. Very few boats went in or out. We watched as NBC made their hourly update, the pace of their broadcasting contrasted by their news that little was happening.
An interesting conversation with a ship’s mate revealed that many of the boats have been contracted by BP, though he indicated that they are not working too hard. He also pointed out that that they are still waiting on 3 weeks worth of payments. He said that he would really just prefer to be back to fishing. Unfortunately, it sounds like that is a long ways off.
We headed a little ways down the road to Cypress Cove Marina. There we stumbled into a conversation with guy (who asked to remain unnamed) in public affairs from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This conversation will be fleshed out a lot more in several future posts. Here are a couple interesting quotes from him:
“We are the problem.”
“This is the cost of doing business, but maybe we should re-think how we do business.”
“What is it gonna take?”
He also pointed out that the birds, turtles, and other animals that are dying as a result of the oil is really just a warning sign. He thinks the bigger problem is at the microbial level, where this spill will have even longer term effects. It could be many, many years before fishing is restored, and certain animals could disappear altogether. He also emphasized how much of our food comes primarily from the Gulf, and how much of that may be lost.
My friends, his point was clear: this is bad, very bad! Our consumption and this colossal disaster very well may have changed a culture, a key source of food, an ecosystem, and the species found there.
Lastly, on our way back to New Orleans we stopped by the Plaquemines Parish Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). There we met with the shelter director, Jacob Stroman, who was more than welcoming. The shelter has seen a rise in animals that are relinquished (given to the shelter) recently, most likely due to the economic challenges resulting from the spill (note: “most likely,” because many people do not share why they give them up).
While there, we watched as a woman adopted a 5 year old dog. It was neat to hear as she shared her story with us. And the staff was overjoyed to see this dog find a new home. However, 40+ dogs and 50+ cats remain. This is certainly one of the effects of the spill that goes unnoticed: God’s creatures abandoned, stranded, and left in cages. While the workers at the shelter deeply cared for the animals there and did the best they could, this is certainly a less-than-ideal situation (note: Ben will be sharing this story more fully on the Not One Sparrow site soon).
It has been a long day, but a good one. A day filled with stories, unforgettable sights, and lots of prayer. It is midnight local time as I write this, and we will be up early in the morning to head to Grand Isle, LA where we will spend much of the day around the island with the good people of First Baptist Church, Grand Isle.
Very soon we will conclude this second day of our prayer journey in prayer. Please join us.
More on our prayer journey:
Let the Prayers Flow
Jun 14th
I am sitting here in the airport, waiting for my (first) flight to the gulf coast… and am just hit by the sudden realization that the prayer journey has now begun. I hate to say that I’m excited because so much tragedy lies ahead. And yet, I am expectant to see what the Lord will be doing this next week.
As I write untold gallons of oil are flowing out of that busted well every hour. Now, I do not know God’s will or His timing. But I do know that His kingdom includes a restored creation. And I know that His kingdom was inaugurated with Jesus’ coming. So, God is going to fix this and we can pray confidently towards that end. Again, I don’t know about His timing, but I do know that He will not abandon us. Our Lord is with us even in the midst of this disaster. He is listening. May our prayers flow at a rate even greater than that of the oil.
Please follow along this week as we pray with people, encourage them, hear their stories, report on the tragic situation before, and relay those glimpses of hope that are presented to us. We will try and report back as often as we can. My flight is now boarding. Time to go. TIME TO PRAY.
Tradeoffs
Jun 9th
Green Adventures: a series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
As you may be aware, next week I will be heading out on a prayer journey to the gulf coast to pray with people there for the effects of the oil spill. Since our trip will cover a large distance (New Orleans to St. George Island) it is too great to walk or even bike. Unfortunately, we will need to travel by vehicle. Additionally, our various constraints and meetings rule out the possibility of using public transportation. At the same time, however, we do not want to use oil excessively to get around since the problem here is oil.
While we thought it would be ideal to take an electric vehicle for the trip, they are not exactly easy to come by. The more realistic solution we came up with was to rent a hybrid for the trip. This would provide us with the mobility we needed, but allow us to signal our desire to opt out of the oil culture.
Unfortunately, after countless hours researching, visiting websites, and making phone calls, I have been totally unable to track down a Prius or other hybrid to rent anywhere in the area during the time of our trip. I have tried just about every last avenue possible in order to make this work. Perhaps it is the conglomeration of environmentally-minded media in town for the oil spill coverage that has reserved all the hybrids. Or perhaps it merely signals how dependent our culture is on gas-guzzling vehicles and that there are very few in stock. Either way, I am pretty much out of luck.
* Image from http://www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid/photo-gallery.html
Often when trying to care for God’s creation, we bump into challenges such as these. We want to opt for the ultra-green choice but it isn’t actually available to us. Sometimes this is due to cost. Sometimes availability. Sometimes information. Whatever the reason – whether we like it or not – the perfect alternative is not always available to us.
The challenge I have had this week is less about the time and energy spent finding the perfect vehicle and more about coming to terms with the idea of not having it. I so wanted to have that gas-sipping hybrid and yet it has eluded my grasp. I have really struggled to let that go.
Fortunately, I am reminded that our God does not just look at the outward appearance but considers our hearts. Perhaps some people will not appreciate the fact that our car will likely not have the little hybrid symbol on it, but I know that our Lord is aware of the effort I put into this.
That is the thing that I have really learned this week. There will be times where we cannot attain that perfect option, but we can know that our efforts and desire to care for creation will not go unnoticed.
In the end it looks like I will have to accept the tradeoff here. While I probably won’t be driving down the coast highway in a shiny electric or hybrid vehicle, I will at least be riding in an economy vehicle. More importantly, I know that I tried my best to care for God’s creation. The rest I place in the hands of the Redeemer of all things.
Also consider:
Buying a New Car
Jun 1st
Green Adventures: a series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
A little over six months ago my wife was unfortunately in a car accident. She was fine – thank God – but the car was not. It was totaled and suddenly we found ourselves in the market to buy a car MUCH SOONER than expected, many years sooner.
We quickly had to decide what we wanted and what was important to us. Since it was to be our family car, the one that carried my daughter and any future kids we might have, it had to be large enough to accommodate all of us. We also knew we wanted a car that was dependable and would not break down on us. Of course, safety was another key factor.
Furthermore, we knew we wanted a car that better cared for God’s creation, but didn’t really know how to do that. Seeing as though we thought we had at least 5 years before we were going to be at a decision point, we were completely unprepared.
Let me first point out that we considered the make of the car as an important piece of the puzzle as well. We focused particularly on vehicles that would last a long time, so as to get the maximum duration out of the resources that were put into it. If a car is green in other aspects but does not last long, how green can it really be?
So we started where any reasonable person would: gas mileage. We compared the various vehicles based upon their respective efficiencies. Of course, we would have done this anyways, but it was a good place to start. I built a nice, little spreadsheet where we began comparing this and other things for the various vehicles we considered.
We didn’t stop there, however. We figured out (after a good bit of research) where to find the carbon footprint and other helpful information on our vehicle on fueleconomy.gov. More specifically, we went here where we were able to look up specific info on the vehicles we were checking out. Not only did it include the estimated tonnes of carbon emitted each year but it also included the EPA air pollution score. While many of us may not be able to put into context how much CO2 is emitted or pollution numbers, we can all contrast a series of numbers and tell which car is at least relatively best in each category.
A little more navigating around their site revealed the greenhouse gas emissions for each vehicle as well. The greenhouse gases (or GHGs) are gases that are emitted into the atmosphere when a vehicle burns fuel. These gases are expected to increase the temperature in our atmosphere contributing to climate change. So we again added this to our spreadsheet and began comparing.
In the end we had to balance a variety of factors, including cost, to get the vehicle that was most appropriate for our family at the time. Fortunately, it worked out that we were able to choose a great car – Honda CRV – that also happened to have the best scores in almost every one of those categories (I think it was just 1mpg lower than another vehicle). We were truly blessed to get such a great car through the help of a wonderful neighbor helped us get a great deal. As you can see below, my daughter was quite happy about the decision. She has been bugging us ever since to take it for a test drive.
Also consider:
Wrestling with Oil
May 26th
Green Adventures: a series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
In this Green Adventures series, I have brought you into my own journey to care for God’s creation. I have enjoyed telling stories of how I have tried to live out my call to care for God’s creation. I have typically focused on practical actions. Together we have journeyed through efforts to make bread; to switch to more sustainable, cloth diapers; to develop eco-friendly business cards; to tend a garden; and even to change eating habits. Today’s journey, though, is not a matter of action. Instead, it is a matter of heart.
I’ll be honest, when I first heard of the oil rig explosion on April 20th, I felt bad, but not too bad. In a world where we are constantly battered with news of disaster, death, and destruction, I often find myself numb to the impact of such things. Numbness to such pain allows us to continue functioning in a bubble as if everything is okay. Normally, in this situation I would be “okay.” But this time I am not. The numbness has given way.
This is the result, first, of engaging with the situation and understanding its gravity. You see, when we keep things at arm’s distance, when we engage in only 30 second sound bites, and when we treat them like science fiction movies, it is easy to be disengaged. But when we address a situation, look at the photos, and understand what is at stake, we cannot help but to care for the real pain of the tragedy.
Secondly, this is the result of prayer. Early on I began praying for this, but I later jumped in deep with a prayer for the Gulf Coast Oil Spill and my efforts surrounding the launch of Oil Spill Prayer. How could I possibly go to the Lord day after day without being deeply affected? Prayer has changed me.
I am not a terribly emotional person. I rarely cry. But I cannot help but tear up every time I engage this situation.
People have died.
Others are injured.
Families are hurting due to financial hardships.
God’s creatures are suffering and dying.
Beaches, marshes, wetlands, and other ecosystems are seriously damaged.
Back when I worked at World Vision, I remember reading about how the founder, Bob Pierce, prayed these words: “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” I believe that this tragedy is something that breaks the heart of God. Bit by bit my own heart is breaking.
Also consider:
Personal Garden
May 19th
Green Adventures: a series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
With the arrival of spring we planted our home garden a little while back. Whereas last year we simply grew tomatoes at home, we decided to be more adventurous this year. We planted 14 different types of plants and are considering finding space to add even more. While I mostly planted from seed in my garden for the community, at home we planted seedlings instead (for a few unimportant reasons). The incredible thing is that we are already beginning to enjoy the produce from some our plants.
In the past a lack of available space has held us back, but this season we got creative. Most everything is planted in pots, with a couple things in the ground and a couple tomatoes in those upside down, hanging plant things. Surprisingly, this has worked out quite well for us. All of the plants have done well with the exception of the onions which are barely hanging on. A few of the plants seemed to be in shock after transplanting them, but have recovered nicely.
Here is what we are growing:
- Tomatoes (Roma, Cherry, Champion)
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Rosemary
- Peppermint
- Apple mint
- Bush beans
- Strawberries
- Yellow Bell Peppers
- Red Bell Peppers
- Squash
- Onions
- Chives
- Blueberries
Our garden has not been without some troubles. I have already found a few green worms eating up our plants. We had a couple monsters last year that nearly devoured our tomato plants. Fortunately my eyes are a little better trained, and I have been able to catch them quickly this year (so far). Our problems have not ended there, however. The leaves of several plants, especially the bush beans, are still being eaten by some tiny, black, flying bugs. I am not sure what they are, but they like to hang around on the underside of the leaves and snack away. A round of organic bug spray has killed a good chunk of them, but more have come since. So far the level is tolerable, but I don’t like to have them either way. Suggestions? Finally, some animal has nibbled on a couple of our strawberries. There is a chance it is our dog, but more likely it is the birds that hang out in our yard. I could pick up or manufacture a net to cover them, but I will probably wait until they actually take the fruit or do some real damage.
These past couple years I have really rediscovered the joy of gardening. I love the connection with God’s creation and I believe that there is actually something deeply spiritual about gardening (I will make my case for this in a future post). I also enjoy the connection with the food. In a world where we have been so far removed from the food that we eat, it is great to know where your food comes from, what chemicals have (not) been used on it, and to have the pleasure of raising it yourself.
Gardening has also been a wonderful way to spend time with my daughter. She really enjoys helping me water the plants. She has actually gotten pretty good at it (she used to enjoy watering the bricks and the cement as much as the plants). I appreciate this both as a way to get quality time with her as well as to decompress for a few minutes after work. Also, she gets incredibly excited when we are able to pick ripe produce (especially the strawberries). It has been a bit of a challenge teaching her about fruit being ripe, but she has figured it out now. Of course, she does like to pick a basil leaf off now and then for no good reason. She will take a bite of it, realize it’s not so good plain, and spit it out. But we have come a long way from just ripping of produce or leaves for no reason. Gardening as a family has been a great bonding time that I really treasure.
I will continue to update you about the ups and downs of our gardening journey as we go forward. For now, I would love to hear more about your own experience.
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Also consider:
Green Adventures: Your Adventures
May 12th
Green Adventures: a series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
Last night, Tuesday, I met with Noel and Erika, two new friends who are the co-directors of the children’s ministry at Christ Lutheran Church. Not only was it great to be able to work with a church to help implement creation care theology and practices, but I had a blast telling them about why I care for God’s creation and some ways that I have done so. There is something incredibly exciting and encouraging about sharing the ways that we work to follow God and care for His creation.
So, today’s green adventure is not about my story, but about yours. It is time for you to encourage me and each other with the details from your own journeys.
Here’s how:
- Click on the blog title (“Green Adventures: Your Adventures”) above
- Scroll down to the bottom of this article and share your stories with us.
Many of us don’t typically comment on blogs, but this is your chance. Please. By sharing your story you can encourage the rest of us and allow us to see how God is moving in your life. That is important.
If you need a framework for what to share, please tackle any or all of the questions below. Or feel free to share some other relevant story which will be beneficial to the community. If you still don’t know what to share, please contact us and we will personally help you come up with something.
- What is the biggest reason that drives you to care for God’s creation?
- What is the favorite/most exciting/most enjoyable way that you implement caring for creation into your life?
- What is the oddest/funniest thing that has happened to you while trying to care for creation?
- How has Creation Hope been a help in your journey?
Finally, if you are feeling embarrassed, just remember some of my past catastrophes like when the first time I tried to bake bread.
Thank you in advance for sharing.
Also consider:
Green Office: Printing
May 5th
Green Office: a series in which we invite you into our adventures to try to do business in a way that better cares for creation.
Green Office: Printing
As I’ve said before, it’s not always easy being an organization that promotes caring for creation. You see, it’s not enough to just promote the theology of creation care, we have to embody it as well. Sometimes this is an easy switch, other times it takes a lot more work. Regardless, it is a new adventure discovering how to do business in a green way. So, we have decided to bring you into our journey to care for God’s creation in our organization as well. With this post we are launching the Green Office series, a sub-series under the Green Adventures series.
Here are a few of the things that we’ve done to employ green practices in our organization to date:
- We brought in a few indoor plants to clean the toxins from the office air. I put in a little peace lily, a red-edged dracaena, and (what I am pretty sure is) a Warneck dracaena. The Warneck dracaena was given to me which is why I’m not exactly sure of the name. It’s nice to know that these little friends are hard at work keeping our air clean.
- We aggressively turn off the lights in the office. We ensure that they are never on when we are no one is working inside. We also make use of natural light through a very large window we have. In fact, most of the day (unless really needing the extra light) the lights are off even when someone is working inside.
- Similarly, we employ very strong power-saving techniques on computers. They are set to the following settings: monitor off after 2 minutes of inactivity and PC to sleep after 10. Additionally, the surge protector is shut off after the computer’s powered down each night.
- I recently shared about my quest to make the most creation-friendly business cards I possibly could. While I am still working towards a better ink, we are very happy with the results. I now have a variety of people collecting all sorts of odd packaging for me to use for business cards.
I will share others in future posts. For now, we turn our attention to printing.
I am excited to say that this is one of those places where we have been incredibly successful to date. In fact, since moving into our new office about 6 weeks ago, we have yet to print a single piece of paper. In order to do so we have really questioned at every instance if things needed to be printed. To date I have not found reason to do so. Certainly the day will come, but we are happy about that for now. When the time comes to begin printing, I will definitely be using eco font or other ink-saving technique.
Of course, I realize that each industry and job is different and it might be more difficult for some of you. I just encourage you to think hard before clicking “print” and consider the subsequent tips we have discovered when you do. Note that I have also relied heavily on email and file sharing to enable this.
Another key thing we have done is that I picked up a ream of recycled paper from Staples. I searched a variety of stores before I was able to find their 100% recycled paper. Many of the office supply stores offer partially recycled paper, but I was really excited to find fully recycled paper. The nice thing was that it did not come at a steep price increase. While it still takes energy and other resources to process, it is at least nice that it does not use any more trees. I was shocked to discover from their packaging that, “the average American uses more than 655 pounds of paper every year.” Yikes!
Another way we save paper is to reuse the reverse side of old or mistaken print jobs. I often write or print (back when I last printed something) on the backside of previous print jobs. So, I have client and marketing notes written on the back of an old copy of our business plan. The funny – or strange – thing is that I have taken to collecting other peoples mistaken print jobs, junk mail, and other paper waste to use for my work. Odd, but effective nevertheless.
Finally, we are recycling all print cartridges. We have been doing this already as we have recycled cartridges from others. This is a great way to earn rewards, get discounts, or get free reams of paper as well. It is important that these be recycled. You can take them back to most office supply stores and several other places.
As you can see, our journey to green our office has taken us many places. We are excited about these steps that we have listed here and look for to sharing others that we have already implemented and even more that we have have yet to experience. Please continue to follow our journey to care for God’s creation in life and in the office.
Beyond the Taco Stand
Apr 28th
Green Adventures: a series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
I love tacos. Now, I’m not just talking about your average Taco Bell taco. No, I’m talking about authentic, Mexican tacos. You know, the ones that you actually get in Mexico. The ones from the taquería (taco stand) where they warm the tortillas and then throw in that freshly cooked meat. Then they proceed to add on all the accoutrements including the fresh guacamole. They’re best with carne asada but I also enjoy the al pastor, pescado (fish), and even the cabeza (head meat; not brain). Just typing this, my mouth is salivating.
In case you are underestimating how much I love these, many of my usernames and email addresses include some variation of taco and lover. My twitter handle: @scottlovestacos. At my wedding, we had Mexican food. My favorite taquería is El Apache in Ensenada, Mexico.
Long story short: I am a carnivore. Well, an omnivore really, but I really enjoy meat. While I love tacos and all Mexican food, I also really enjoy eating well prepared meat. The odds of me becoming a vegetarian are very slim.
Now up until a little while ago I basically thought my meat originated in the grocery store. Of course, it’s not like I thought that a piece of steak had no history. It’s that I never thought about it, effectively removing any history it did have.
I guess in my mind (particularly due to some very good advertising here in California) I figured that these animals had happy-go-lucky farm lives prior to their journey to the local supermarket. I did not know much about what went on. To be honest, I am not sure I wanted to know. You see, by divorcing myself from their history, I effectively dodged any moral dilemmas I might encounter when faced with the reality of their treatment.
All that said, I have been on a journey of late which has strongly impacted the way I eat. I’m not exactly sure how it came about. Perhaps it was watching the movie Food, Inc. Or discovering more about how animals are typically treated in the factory farms most of our food comes from today. Or learning about the huge ecological footprint of eating meat. Or participating in Meatless Monday. Or from all that I have learned from Ben DeVries and the work of Not One Sparrow. More likely it was some combination of all these things.
The first step in this journey has been one of discovery and understanding. Through the sources listed above and a several others, the curtain has been pulled back. I have learned that there is a deep environmental cost to the meat I consume, especially beef. I have learned that there is a much larger story behind the meat you pick up at the grocery store; that bacon, for example, didn’t began as bacon but as a pig with a history. I have learned that the image of a laid back country farm where the Wilburs are cared for, loved, and happy is not actually the case. I have learned that as creations and and fellow worshippers of God animals should receive our care and consideration.
In the second step in my journey I really took these things to heart. Between the ugly images of how animals are treated and brutalized and the balanced, inspiring words I have read at Not One Sparrow, I have come to realize that this is more than meat, it is an animal. And an animal is much more than food, it is a creation of God. I do believe that God has given us animals for our use and consumption. But He has also given them to us for our care. This journey has led me to see – not just in an abstract way – that our consumption cannot be divorced from our care. I have come to realize that I myself am complicit in the poor treatment of animals even if it is indirectly. I have come to develop a newfound respect and compassion for God’s creatures.
The third step has been to put some of this into action. For me it began with a notion that I should cut meat out of my lunches. I did this for the following reasons: to improve my health, to lessen my impact on God’s creation, and to opt of out our factory farm system a bit more. So I now go about 6 days a week without having any sort of meat for lunch.
Then came Meatless Monday. Jon Mestas, fellow blogger at Creation Hope, brought this to our communities attention. Simply put, you don’t eat meat on Mondays. While the thought of becoming a vegetarian seems daunting, I was certain I could go one day without meat.
Lastly I have made an intentional effort to choose better alternatives. This is less concrete but important nonetheless. Animals with a smaller environmental footprint are preferred. Then attempts at better options based on free-range or not, what they are fed, etc are made. To be honest we have a long way to go on this, but we are trying and moving forward.
The amazing thing to me is how easy all of this has been. Perhaps we are not yet doing much, but the steps we have taken have been quite painless. On meals or days without meat, I do not feel less fulfilled as a person. Nor am I less full. Nor has eating less meat affected my manhood or quality of life. While it does take some intentionality, it is not a hard switch.
The remainder of my journey is yet to come. In fact, we are so new to this that I have no idea where it is going to go. That said, my wife and I have been intentional about talking and exploring ways we can further change the impact of our consumption. Here are a few that we are considering (and are open to further suggestions as well):
- Discovering more about how we can consume meat in a compassionate manner
- Continuing to cut our consumption of meat, especially those with the greatest impact on creation
- Purchasing a side of beef (probably with someone else) of a grass-fed cow that has been raised locally and treated appropriately
- Raising our own chickens in our backyard for eggs and perhaps meat in order to ensure that they are well cared for
- Working to reduce waste to ensure that the cost of an animal’s life is not so that it wind up in a landfill without ever being consumed
To be honest, I am not ready to eliminate meat from my diet. As of today, I don’t think I ever will do so completely. But that does not have to prevent me from continuing my journey to eat in ways that respect the value and worth of each of God’s animals. I have not eaten my last taco. But I have eaten the last taco that thinks the meat originates at the taco stand.
Tacos are now forever changed for me. No longer is it a carne asada (marinated beef) taco; it is a taco made from a vaca (cow). No longer is it carnitas (pork), it is a cerdo (pig). No longer is it pollo (chicken), it is a gallina (chicken). No longer is it pescado (fish); it is pez (fish).
The meat we consume does not come into existence at the taco stand or at the market. It has a history. It was an animal – one of God’s precious creatures. No matter where you are in your journey, I encourage you to see beyond the taco stand and into the life of the cow, the pig, the chicken, and the fish. What steps can you take to better care for each one of these unique and incredible creations.
{I originally wrote this for Not One Sparrow where it was posted as “beyond the taco stand.” Thank you to Not One Sparrow and Ben DeVries for featuring it and allowing us to use it here on Creation Hope as well. Not One Sparrow is doing some great work being a voice for animals in the Christian community. In addition to their website you can connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.}
* Taco image from
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