It’s difficult to
protest against something when you are benefiting from it. We benefit from the war in the Middle East because it gives us cheap oil; we benefit
from fracking because it gives us low gas prices; we benefit from GMOs because
the process gives us cheap food whatever season it is. We have lifestyles that support the war while
we shout against it. That is
hypocritical. Where is John Woolman when
we need him? He encouraged us to look
for the things that seed war and stop doing them.
True protest is
more than just holding up signs, posting on facebook, or marching in the
street. It is changing your lifestyle,
becoming less selfish, and learning what it means to sacrifice our wants and
desires. Maybe a good litmus test for
what we do is to consider what it cost others and not do anything at the
expense of others. That alone would have
a huge impact.
I don’t think I
would enjoy things as much if I really considered the cost of others to do or
to have the things I have. Making my
life easier at the expense of others is a crime because it’s stealing life from
others.
Jesus is the
perfect example. He was crucified for my
sins. Knowing that and really
considering that, how can I enjoy a life of sin? He made the ultimate sacrifice; but others
make sacrifices to. My father gave up
twenty years of his life to be in the military to protect the freedoms of
people in this country. It was hard on
him; it was hard on my mom; it was hard on us kids. The cost was high. It makes me angry to hear people dissing
military personnel and seeing them as the enemies to peace in this world. The true enemies to peace in this world are
everyone who lives selfishly with our natural resources and feels that they
need every new technological toy in order to live. That is the seed that John Woolman would
speak to today.
I am not perfect
in all of this. I like my comforts as
well as the next person. But I don’t
like being preached to about the problems of the world by the ones that are in
reality the causes. I want to become
responsible for what I do and what I own, considering the cost to others. It seems only right.
QUERY
What do my life style and life choices cost
others?
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