MIDWEEK MESSAGE – April 17, 2024

This coming Monday, April 22nd, is Earth Day. It is wonderful that we have a day to celebrate Mother Earth.  But celebrating Earth Day one day a year while abusing and mistreating her the other days of the year is like someone saying on Valentine’s Day that they love you and the rest of the year treating you poorly.

No matter how much someone says they love someone or something but mistreats them, it’s indicative that their feelings are not as professed. The Earth is being mistreated and abused, and the time will come when so many of the things we love will not be available for us or future generations to enjoy.

Many of us want to be conscious of our earth, so we plant trees, sing songs, celebrate Earth Day, recycle when available, drink bottled water, etc.. Still, we drink water from plastic bottles, drive gas-eating vehicles, and consume large quantities of beef.

Planting a tree is wonderful for many reasons, but we also need to be conscious of all the plastic bottles we buy when trying to drink water that isn’t contaminated. Reducing the amount of beef consumed would also greatly help the environment. The annual American appetite for beef produces 337 billion lb.CO2e emissions per year—the same amount produced by 32.3 million cars.

I am not suggesting everyone give up meat, but eliminating beef one or two days a week would reduce the amount consumed. Every bit we do today helps us protect the earth for tomorrow. 

We must seriously examine what humans do to the Earth and the environment, not just one day a year but in our daily lives. How about using your car less this Earth Day, eliminating beef for the day, and including Mother Earth in your prayers, not just on Earth Day but in your daily prayer life?  Or take a day of the week, say Mondays, give up beef for the day, be conscious of your need to drive your car, and gratefully bless the multitude of gifts we receive from Mother Earth.

So this Earth Day, and every day, take time to pray diligently so that we wake up and do what is best not just for ourselves now but for future generations and for Mother Earth, who has unselfishly given us so much to be grateful for.

Quote of the Week

“Clear skies, not too much to ask for, 

They were here before we came, 

Will they be here when we are gone?”

Lyrics “Clear Blue Skies” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young