Living a Responsible Lent – Caring for our Common Home – Week 5

“There is a nobility in the duty to care for creation through little daily actions, and it is wonderful how education can bring about real changes in lifestyle.”  Pope Francis – Laudato Si 211

When looking for solutions to the problems of today, education is a key component.  Pope Francis asks us to learn about and then question the environmental policies in our local, national and global communities.  It is only when we start talking about the problems our world faces, ecologically, economically, spiritually, etc., that we will begin to develop plans that can improve our communities, our country and our world.  We, all of us, have to start looking at solutions from all areas:  religious, ecological, societal, economic, ethical, relational, political, etc.  We have to look at what is happening in our own areas and see how that relates to what is happening in the global arena.  Everything we do affects someone else.  There is a ripple effect that eventually covers the entire planet.  The issues we face are huge but if we each do one small thing every day, can you imagine the impact?

Here is some food for thought from a USA Today article by Ashley May published on June 22, 2017.  If every American recycled one plastic bottle, 54 million T-shirts and 6.5 million fleece jackets could be produced. If every American recycled one plastic bag, 28, 906 park benches could be manufactured.  If the United States reached a recycling level of 75%, 1.5 million new jobs could be created.  Take the time and learn about what you can do to help.  You don’t have to do huge things but if each of us did one thing every day, collectively we could make a huge impact.

Follow the SSJ Facebook page for daily posts with suggestions on simple things you can do to save our world.