Thank you for committing to this 30 Day Christian Green Living Challenge with us! Each day as we step through our journey, I’ll share the challenge for the day then, depending on your green goals, I will share resources where you can learn more, dig deeper into the topic, or challenge yourself even more. We will do the challenge once *live* together, but you can participate anytime by joining in on the comments below and by using the hashtag #ChristianGreenLiving. So, when you’re ready, let’s Go Christian Green!
“The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.” — Pope Francis, Laudato Si’
Do you know about the great garbage patches? Have you seen the news coverage of the dead whales who have starved because they have bellies full of plastic bags? Have you seen the pictures of beautiful beaches across the world covered in trash?
Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that these things are real, but like Pope Francis has famously said, “The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.”
As Christians, we need to take our responsibility to be good stewards of God’s creation seriously by first understanding the reality of the current damage and then by taking action for real change. In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis shares how he sees the current status of the earth and he tells us directly, “because of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence, nor convey their message to us. We have no such right.”
Sadly, because of us (collectively), ocean animals are suffering and our water supply is being poisoned by plastic waste and the chemicals they leach. People in other countries are stuck with our garbage washing up on their shores, years after we have “disposed” of it.
These are big problems that can’t be solved in a day, but awareness combined with our prayers, intentions, and efforts can begin to turn things around.
Today’s Day 3 Challenge:
Think about the world’s plastic bag consumption and disposal. How often do you see bags polluting your community? Consider how different the world could be if plastic bags were no longer offered and reusable bags became the “norm”?
Pray
Pray for the oceans, the wildlife and those who suffer the most from plastic waste. May God strengthen our commitment to reduce our plastic consumption and help us to find new and positive solutions to the great plastic problems we’ve created in the world.
Act
If you don’t already own reusable bags, take some time find and buy, or make enough reusable bags to cover all of your shopping, not just grocery shopping. Commit to only using reusable bags and/or boxes you keep in your car. If you find yourself at the store without your bags, don’t be afraid to skip the bags and take your groceries or shopping home without. You can always use what you have at home to carry your items in.
Share
Comment below and/or use the hashtag #ChristianGreenLiving to share a picture of your reusable bags in action!
Learn More~
- Understanding Pope Francis’ Encyclical on the Environment: (Part 4) Loss of Biodiversity—by DarleneGoesGreen
In this section of my Laudato Si’ study, Pope Francis discusses the current status of creation and how it is affecting the biodiversity of the world.
- Plastic Bag Consumption Facts —by ConservingNow.com
Conserving Now is a great resource to learn the facts behind plastic consumption and offers a lot of helpful information.
- Banning Plastic Bags is Great for the World, Right? Not So Fast —by Ben Alder/Wired
There is a debate on what makes the best type of reusable bag and you can find a lot on both sides. I think this article does a good job of explaining the options.
- This Is How Your Plastic Bag Ends Up In Massive Ocean Garbage Patches —by Alissa Scheller/Huff Post
If you missed it above, this is a good infographic of how plastic bags end up in the ocean.
Click here to go to Day 4
Ready to pin? Thanks for sharing!
I use my 31 bag – reusable lunch bag daily…..love it!
I love the Instagram pic — your turtles are too cute!
Can’t show you a pic of bags in my car….because my cell phone is kaput! My big deal is REMEMBERING to use them. Glad to sign on to this challenge #ChristianGreenLiving
Sorry to hear about your phone Amy, but I’m with you on remembering the bags. Today I needed just a couple of things and didn’t have a bag. The good news is they were small enough to carry without a bag! Yeah!