do JUSTICE.

Over the past few months and through many in-depth conversations and various research, one thing has become more obvious:

We have created the world in which we live in. We ask for slave labor, for chemicals in our food and personal care products. We choose to poison our planet with waste. And many of us do it every day with the simple swipe of a credit card.

That's right, WE have done this and WE are doing this. Why do the things listed above exist? A lot of it has to do with greed, with never having enough and never having it fast enough. The better question, however, is WHY ARE WE ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN? It all goes back to asking questions.

Until about six months ago, I would have called myself "aware." I used a canvas tote when shopping to avoid the need for plastic bags. I got upset when people didn't recycle their cans and bottles or left trash on the ground. I got frustrated hearing about children in sweatshops around the world and even threw a dollar or two to a good cause now and then. Even with all of this, I was contributing to the problem much, much more than I was helping, and all because I was not asking the questions that mattered. In fact, I was not asking questions at all. How do super corporations like Walmart and Target (yes, Target) afford to sell things so cheaply? Where does the food I buy come from, and what conditions are they grown in? Who made these clothes, and how did they arrive at the air-conditioned stores in which I shop at?

When we refuse to ask the questions that matter, we contribute to the problem. By purchasing things that are grown with dangerous chemicals, that contain GMOs, that aren't made efficiently enough to last more than one or two years, we are telling companies that this is what we want. By going to McDonald's instead of a farmer's market, we are saying that "Yes, I'll take food that is absolutely terrible for me and the planet, and I want it fast." Everything, from the clothes we wear to the coffee we drink, can seriously hurt people.

As a Jesus-follower, it's part of my calling to care for PEOPLE and CREATION. One of the simplest ways to do that is by choosing where I shop and what I buy. Sounds easy, right? BECAUSE IT IS!!! With a little simple research, we can all become more conscious of the long-term effects of the things we buy and hopefully will put that knowledge to ACTION. 

As part of my new year's resolution, I'm resolving to strive for justice. One of the verses God has shown me lately is Micah 6:8. The verse says: "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." 


Want to know more? Start with these links...
http://www.storyofstuff.org - Check out The Story of Change video
http://www.betterworldshopper.com - THIS WILL SHOCK YOU. FO REAL.



"Further Up, Further In, and Farther Along."