Taking joy in responsibility
Glad that Abbynormal restarted this thread, because obviously the whole idea of living on the road is intriguing to many people. Whether that lifestyle would satisfy a person, though, is a matter of how they see the meaning of life & their goals & proclivities.
Before I became a Christian, I might have seen that manner of existing as a way to be happy(ier); however, I don’t now think it would satisfy me. That’s because I now want to give as much as I can to God & to humanity, out of gratitude for what Christ has done for me. Plus, the particular gifts God has given me lend themselves more to working with others than to a solitary life.
Many people reading here have probably seen Disney’s “Lion King” movie; it’s just about my favorite movie, because it illustrates so vividly the Christian Bible’s view of humans’ history in the world. Part of Lion King is Simba growing up outside the Savannah, with a “No Worries” philosophy. Deep down, though, he seems haunted by an awareness of “who he is,” i.e., his identity as ruler & caretaker of the Prideland, & a sense that life should be more than what he’s making of it. He can’t escape the emptiness. After much soul searching & encouragement (prodding, even) from others, he returns home, to vanquish those who have made a mess of the Prideland, assumes the leadership post he was created to fill, & brings back prosperity & peace.
To me, the first ½ or so of that story describes pretty well much of the history of humanity. God created us to tend & keep the garden (Genesis 2:15), meaning He wants us to bring out all the good that’s latent in the earth & to preserve the earth for ourselves & those who will come after us. We have shirked our responsibilities, though, sometimes out of selfishness & other times out of laziness. Because of our materialism (that many posting here seem to want to eschew) & neglect, creation is now groaning (Romans 8:22), waiting for us (all of us) to take up the tasks we were created for. The parallels with Lion King seem obvious.
I’m not judging anybody on this thread; we are all at different places on our own personal journeys. Plus, the “on the road” lifestyle may be how some folks posting messages here can bless others best.
That said, the earth is now very sick ecologically: 50% of all wild animals have gone extinct in the last 40 years, we have set in motion a changing climate that will probably wipe out most of the remaining animals & plants (& perhaps humans too). At the time when we need to severely cut back on greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4,…), we are increasing the emissions instead. Human survival is at stake.
So, personally, my choice is to enter the fight, & do what I can to preserve the earth & those who depend on the earth.
Sorry for such a long post, but the situation is getting quite serious & urgent.
Andrew
Climatecaretakers dot org