Day Ten - To Repair or Replace

In Genesis, God had given Adam and Eve everything that they needed to live a fulfilling life. But still they were tempted to take more.

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate”. Genesis 1:6

We live in a consumer driven society that is led by greed and often selfishness and influenced by media and the availability of resources. We live in a throw away society, where it is generally more economical to replace an item, rather than repair it. But the results can be witnessed around the world in the threat to our natural environment and the wildlife that we share it with. I’m regularly shocked by the amount of rubbish that can be seen littering our streets, as well as the amount of rubbish that the ‘super countries’ transport to some of the poorest countries around the world, where it is forming huge grotesque mountains.

In the past, as a manager, I would regularly hear staff making requests for the latest piece of equipment that would ‘make the job easier’ and ‘make the team more productive’. Sometimes that was true. But as caretaker of the limited resources the organisation had one of my questions was usually to ask whether it was a ‘want’ or a ‘need’.

But there was a second, and more important reason for my question. I am all too aware of the responsibilities I have - to God, to the environment, to my neighbours, to protect the world we have.

“The Heavens are the Heavens of the Lord, But the earth He has given to the sons of men” Psalm 115:16

But often knowing and doing can be two different things. Sometimes I find it hard not to buy into our ‘throw away society’, especially when I can’t get something repaired or the cost of repairing it far outweighs the cost of replacing it! But it is like ‘pennies in the bank’. But we need to regularly remind ourselves that every little thing that we do to preserve our environment and its resources, like re-using, recycling, being environmentally aware all contribute to making our world a better place for us all.

I’m reminded of the words of the second verse of the hymn ‘For the beauty of the earth’ as I pray to God:

Our Loving God,

Thank you for the beauty all around me,

For the skies, and for the day and night,

For the hills and vales and the variety of trees and flowers,

There for me to enjoy.

The sun and moon shining bright

And the stars that light up our skies,

I thank and praise you Father. Amen.

Kathy Shaw