The Mennonites believe God created the heavens, the earth,
and all that is in them through love and out of sovereign freedom . God preserves and sustains what God has made,
limiting the forces of sin and evil for the sake of the world, redeeming and
saving humans and creation. We are
called to respect the "natural order of creation and to entrust ourselves
to God's care and keeping, whether in adversity or plenty" (Confession of
Faith).
In many ways we live in a world where nature is not readily
taken care of. Thinking about the
reliance and abuse of limited fossil fuels, deforesting, over-hunting/fishing,
and overeating of meat (which requires more resources to sustain because we
have to feed the animals a lot of food to make food) brings to mind many areas
of concern when it comes to taking care of the earth and sustainability.
Even when it comes to our own bodies we are not very good
stewards. Many in the United States fall
under the category of "obese or overweight." According to the Food Research and Action
Center, 68.8% of US adults are overweight or obese, with 35.7% being
obese. These things are linked: as we
drive more we walk or bike less; overeating of fatty meats and the
preservatives they hold means eating less vegetables and fruits which are
healthier and more sustainable; eating too many fatty carbs (like donuts) and
too much fast food (like McDonalds) are also culprits.
Into this, Mennonites proclaim God created us and sustained
us - therefore we look after the environment, trying to living sustainably and
responsibly. We work with relief groups to try to end world hunger; we
participate in food pantries and banks in order to help take care of the poor
while stewarding our own goods. On the
individual level, perhaps we need to step up taking care of the environment in
other ways as well...in what ways is God calling us to steward the environment
and creation even better? Leave a
comment below!
Want to learn more?
Here is Article 5 of the Mennonite Confession of faith: http://www.mennoniteusa.org/about/confession-of-faith-in-a-mennonite-perspective-1995/confession-of-faith-%E2%80%94-article-5/
Obesity Stats (Food Research and Action Center):
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