Emergent Kiwi has proposed a mission diet; to free up resources for mission [understood in its broadest terms]. Quite a bit of debate over At Maggi Dawn's Blog on it. Upshot is to get clear of consuming so much. However, this needs to be balanced with how best to help the two-thirds world: fairer trade would be beter than handout aid.
I'm going to propose the Jesus diet. Given that most people in Jesus's time and place ate meat once a week and maybe more if there were leftovers to hve a go at, then I would challenge Christians to adopt it. If you need more persuading consider this: a meat eating westerner needs c. 45,000 sq.ft of land to feed them p.a. A Vegetarian needs only 9,000 sq.ft p.a.
Another idea to reduce consumption; I've started to shop more often but make sure that I can carry and walk home with whatever I get. That way I tend to buy more directly what we need than to be seduced by offers and things that we just fancy. It also means less of the wastage caused by having bought something quite a bit before it might be needed and finding that it has gone off in between times.
The other thing is to look at buying organic, locally produced, in-season and fair trade food not just as a sacrifice of cheapness [though it is not always now] but as a form of giving. If it helps us to feel better, let's see it as a part of our giving rather than just as part of our shopping.
2 comments:
andii - thanks for the link - the kiwi~mission~diet is actually to get people thinking about their timestyles and lifestyles - the money for mission is a by-product.
I'm glad you clarified that -danger of trying to summarise several threads in one sentence. I think then, that it is even more important that we make sure that cutting cost is not the only message: making sure that as far as possible the food we eat and drink is fair to the producers and to the planet is part of it. Don't think there's a disagreement, really. I think that the Sines' challenge to change time~ and lifestyles is key for discipleship now.
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