Living Our Principles: The Natural World
Summary
TLDRThis video script from the 'Living Our Principles' series explores the United Methodist Church's social principles concerning the natural world. It discusses the church's call for prayerful dialogue on faith and practice, addressing contemporary issues like climate justice, environmental stewardship, and food justice. The script highlights the need to balance economic growth with ecological responsibility and urges the church and its members to actively engage in creating a sustainable world.
Takeaways
- πΏ The script discusses the United Methodist Church's social principles and their application to contemporary issues, emphasizing the need for a dialogue of faith and practice grounded in biblical and theological foundations.
- π± The natural world is presented as a critical aspect of the church's social principles, highlighting the responsibility of humans to protect and conserve it, not just for its utility but as a part of God's creation.
- πΎ The case of Kenya is used to illustrate the conflict between economic activities, such as tobacco farming, and the need for environmental stewardship, showing the negative impacts on health, deforestation, and soil erosion.
- π The story of a pastor in Kenya who transitioned from working for a tobacco company to promoting sustainable agriculture, such as chili farming, demonstrates a practical approach to addressing environmental and socio-economic issues.
- π The script calls for global climate stewardship, acknowledging the disproportionate effects of climate change on those least responsible for emissions and the need for mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
- π It emphasizes the importance of food justice, drawing on biblical references to highlight the moral obligation to share resources with the poor and needy, and the need for policies that increase access to quality food.
- π³ The United Methodist Church's social principles are described as covering a broad range of topics, including water, air, soil, minerals, energy resources, animal life, and space, with a focus on ecological equity and sustainability.
- π‘ The script touches on the political nature of environmental discussions but stresses that the social principles are rooted in theological considerations and the church's responsibility to engage with contemporary issues.
- π₯ It encourages the church and its members to prioritize changes in lifestyles and practices to support a more ecologically sustainable world, leading to a higher quality of life for all of God's creation.
- π The video series is presented as a call to action for Methodists to study and engage in dialogue about the natural world and social principles, promoting a prayerful and thoughtful approach to faith and practice.
- π± The script concludes by quoting John Wesley, emphasizing that Christianity is a social religion and that faith should be lived out in the public sphere, with a focus on societal engagement and moral responsibility.
Q & A
What is the purpose of the five-part series 'Living Our Principles'?
-The series aims to explore how the teachings of the United Methodist Church's faith can be utilized to engage with the contemporary world, focusing on a range of social topics with a strong biblical and theological foundation.
What are the social principles of the United Methodist Church?
-The social principles of the United Methodist Church are a set of guidelines that address human issues in the contemporary world, calling members to engage in prayerful, studied dialogue of faith and practice.
Why are stewards of the earth important according to the script?
-Stewards of the earth are important because they actively seek solutions for a more ecologically equitable and sustainable world, challenging authority and advocating for the environment and its resources.
What is the conflict between tobacco farming and environmental conservation in Kenya as described in the script?
-The conflict arises because while the Kenyan government has made smoking illegal, it still supports tobacco companies, leading to deforestation, soil erosion, and health problems due to the process of curing tobacco, which exposes farmers to harmful smoke.
Why did Kennedy Muita, a pastor in the United Methodist Church, decide to work against tobacco farming?
-Kennedy Muita realized the negative impacts of tobacco farming on health, environment, and the livelihood of farmers, and decided to promote alternative crops like chili to improve the situation.
What alternative crop did Kennedy Muita introduce to the farmers in his community?
-Kennedy Muita introduced chili as an alternative crop to tobacco farming, which proved to be more profitable and less harmful to the environment and health of the farmers.
What are some of the challenges faced by farmers who switch from tobacco to alternative crops?
-Challenges include lack of knowledge about new crops, initial resistance to change, lack of incentives like fertilizers and tools, and the need for support from organizations to invest in these areas.
What does the script suggest about the role of the church and its members in environmental issues?
-The script suggests that the church and its members have a responsibility to prioritize changes in economic, political, social, and technological lifestyles to support a more ecologically sustainable world.
How does the script relate biblical teachings to the concept of food justice?
-The script cites biblical passages from Ezekiel and Leviticus that emphasize the importance of sharing resources with the poor and needy, reflecting the concept of food justice.
What is the stance of the United Methodist Church on global climate stewardship according to the script?
-The United Methodist Church supports mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and calls on individuals, congregations, businesses, industries, and communities to reduce their emissions to address global climate change.
What does the script suggest about the importance of local and sustainable agriculture?
-The script suggests that local and sustainable agriculture is important for food security and community well-being, and that churches should support policies and initiatives that promote such practices.
Outlines
πΏ Stewardship of the Natural World
This paragraph introduces a video series on living by the social principles of the United Methodist Church, focusing on the stewardship of the natural world. It emphasizes the church's call for prayerful dialogue and study on faith and practice concerning contemporary social issues, particularly environmental conservation. The script highlights the role of faith-based communities in addressing environmental challenges and the importance of caring for nature beyond its utility to humans. It also introduces the story of stewards of the earth in Kenya, who are seeking ecologically sustainable solutions amidst the backdrop of deforestation and soil erosion caused by tobacco farming.
π Transition from Tobacco to Sustainable Farming
The second paragraph delves into the socio-economic challenges faced by tobacco farmers in Kenya, as narrated by a local pastor and former tobacco company employee. It discusses the exploitation of farmers by the tobacco industry, where earnings are disproportionate to the labor and resources invested. The health hazards and environmental impacts of tobacco farming are highlighted, leading to the exploration of alternative crops like chili. The narrative follows the pastor's efforts to transition his community from tobacco to chili farming, which has shown promising economic benefits and improved living standards for the farmers.
π³ Balancing Technological Advancement with Environmental Stewardship
This paragraph examines the conflict between technological progress and environmental care from a Christian perspective. It underscores the responsibility of Christians to be stewards of God's creation amidst the pressures of economic expansion. The script references the social principles of the United Methodist Church, which call for a high priority on changes in various lifestyles to support an ecologically sustainable world. It also touches on the topics of climate justice and food justice, drawing on biblical teachings to emphasize the importance of caring for the environment and the less fortunate.
π Global Climate Stewardship and Food Justice
The final paragraph discusses the global impact of climate change and the church's stance on mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. It calls for collective action from governments, individuals, and communities to address climate justice. The script also explores the concept of food justice, drawing from biblical passages to argue for the fair distribution of food resources and support for local, sustainable agriculture. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for United Methodists to engage in prayerful study and dialogue on these issues, reflecting on their role as stewards of God's creation.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Social Principles
π‘Natural World
π‘Stewardship
π‘Controversial Topics
π‘Tobacco Farming
π‘Deforestation
π‘Child Labour
π‘Climate Justice
π‘Food Justice
π‘Sustainable World
π‘Ecological Equitable
π‘Faith in Action
Highlights
The United Methodist Church's social principles guide members on engaging with contemporary social issues through a theological lens.
The church's social principles aim to foster prayerful dialogue on faith and practice, rather than politicizing controversial topics.
Faith communities are often the first to respond to societal suffering, advocating for those affected by contemporary issues.
The natural world's resources are essential for human survival, and it's humanity's responsibility to protect and conserve them.
The Republic of Kenya's diverse geography includes coastlines, savannas, forests, mountains, and deserts, affecting its agricultural practices.
Tobacco farming in Kenya contributes to deforestation, soil erosion, and health issues among farmers due to exposure to tobacco smoke.
Tobacco farmers in Kenya face economic exploitation, with low earnings not matching the resources invested.
Alternative crops like chili can provide a more sustainable and profitable option for farmers compared to tobacco.
Transitioning from tobacco to chili farming has led to improved living standards and educational opportunities for some farmers.
The church encourages partnerships to support farmers with incentives like fertilizers and tools to promote sustainable agriculture.
The social principles emphasize the importance of caring for creation as a biblical responsibility, not just for its usefulness to humans.
The church calls for a balance between economic expansion and environmental stewardship to ensure a sustainable future.
Climate justice is rooted in biblical teachings, urging action against humanity's disregard for God's creation.
The church supports mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and encourages individuals and communities to reduce their carbon footprint.
Food justice, based on biblical principles, calls for sharing resources with the poor and needy, ensuring access to basic necessities.
The social principles advocate for policies that increase access to quality food, especially for those with fewer resources.
The church challenges its members to live out their faith in the public sphere, engaging in prayerful study and dialogue on social issues.
The examination of the natural world is intended to inspire a deeper understanding of faith in action and its implications for society.
Transcripts
welcome to the first in our five-part
series living our principles this week
study is on the natural world the social
principles of the United Methodist
Church are part of the longstanding
tradition of our denomination the social
principles speak to human issues in the
contemporary world in other words how do
we as the people called Methodists
utilize the teachings of our faith to
engage with the world around us the
social principles cover a broad range of
contemporary social topics some of them
quite honestly can be controversial in
the politically charged and polarized
society in which we live it is not our
intent to politicize any of these topics
but rather to look at them with a strong
biblical and Theological foundation the
social principles of the United
Methodist Church are a call to all
members of the United Methodist Church
to a prayerful studied dialogue of faith
and practice we hope you enjoy this
examination of the natural world
throughout the world people of faith are
the first responders to the suffering of
their neighbors faithfully advocating
alongside people who bear the ills of
our times it begins at the grassroots
level in the village city or the small
town a community rises to unite faith
with deed and the world changes and we
bear witness to a force of light that
renews our hope
[Music]
water air soil minerals energy resources
plants and animal life the natural world
is all around us as humans we rely on
nature and in turn it is up to us to
protect and conserve its resources and
we should care for it not only because
it is useful to us but because nature
supports the whole of creation from the
Congo to Appalachia from Mindanao
Philippines to Nairobi Kenya stewards of
the earth are challenging Authority what
they've done to the mountains they make
me want to cry and they which issue
colonists live there like we were
criminals these stewards of the earth
are actively seeking solutions for a
more ecologically equitable and
sustainable world these are the stories
of stewards of the earth
[Music]
[Music]
the Republic of Kenya in East Africa is
rich with geographic diversity it has a
long coastline along the Indian Ocean
but inland the landscape changes to
savanna grasslands and bushes forests
and mountains cover the West while
desert blankets the north a vast
majority of Kenyans as with most parts
of Africa depend on the agricultural
sectors to provide food shelter and
education for their families tobacco
growing was introduced into Kenya more
than thirty-five years ago today an
estimated 20,000 small-scale farmers
grow the plant over 37,000 acres of land
the Kenyan government as with most other
developing countries depend on the large
income tax generated by tobacco
companies in our country we have the law
with is no smoking kennedy muita a
pastor in the United Methodist Church
lives in a village in southern Kenya and
many of his parishioners are farmers
smoking is illegal by the same time the
same government supports the companies
which are growing the tobacco so it
ability becomes difficult to officially
ban the growing of tobacco is no law
which governs the growing of tobacco for
example the normal trees reverse and all
our he was an hour drive is a problem
health problem for our people the
process of curing or drying tobacco
leads to deforestation and soil erosion
curing barns are designed in such a way
the farmers are exposed to tobacco smoke
triggering tobacco-related diseases in
1997 we too studied agriculture and
began to work for British American
Tobacco one of the world's largest
tobacco companies and the only place
where he could practice agriculture then
I was employed there for one and a half
years after working the economy the
economic part of it I realized it was an
exploitation to our people according to
the social needs Network an
environmental and socio-economic
development NGO in Kenya earnings from
tobacco are not commensurate with the
effort and resources invested by farmers
tobacco farmers are unable to feed
educate or clothe their children
adequately for example at that time we
were buying tobacco from farmers at 50
shillings connections and the same
company will be served at one o'clock
I'm at 480 shillings in Belgium when new
cost estimates all the loans and all the
labor and everything the family meant
with only 8 students from piquillo the
eight shillings cannot pay the school
fee cannot buy food cannot do anything
to the farmer tobacco farming is highly
labor-intensive it can involve an entire
family in tobacco growing areas there
was a high rate of child labour and
school dropouts tobacco farming also
leaves little room for the family to
grow other food crops the effect can be
perpetual famine and malnutrition
especially amongst children he said then
on that time I was appointed a pasta in
charge of Mohito chance not the area
where now the tobacco at the head of the
tobacco center then I thought what to do
to our people because if actually I tell
my people to stop growing tobacco they
would ask me definitely what we do when
we get the livelihood where would we get
the sugar from and all those things then
I had a second thought of what to do I
tried to consult with various firms then
I consulted with the Miss food company
in Eldoret
they deal with Chile the Chile growing
so did the so-called and chilli sauce
we had a workshop in my village then we
called the farmers around they came we
discussed with them we discussed the
piloting program or now we can start the
growing of chili but didn't pick up well
only twenty five months respond it was -
because it was a new attack a new
invention new technology they knew chile
as a crop only meant for birds and it's
the poultry when they say and they have
never seen chile being sold anywhere the
25 mass vue de chile after one year the
company came and were the chili the
number kept on increasing now to the
fourth year we have about 400 farmers
who have adopted the technology of chile
we found out the farmer will be getting
about 68 slings by the end of the day as
a prophet from the shilling the other
forty two shillings will cut off' or
other the the other services in the farm
I have six farmers who are ready during
the last season they were able to sell
over 100,000 connections and at least
have built good houses they have bought
some oxen for ploughing and I have only
four students who's free have just been
paid all through by the Chile which is
not actually the case in tobacco because
with the tobacco you can't pay in in
school fee I know the farmers of many
challenges they lack incentive they like
fertilizer they like inputs we are
trying to get it to lobby various
organization to be in partnership with
who can come actually and invest in in
those areas so that at least we can have
the people growing the Chile
well I'm seeking partnerships to help
the farmer who can come and aid alone or
give the pharmacy a motivation some
input the quarterback has left us weed
is poverty but we had cows we no longer
have cows we have sold cows to buy food
they spent the time in the farm to grow
in tobacco we had doors we had a timber
we had wood but they are no longer there
so we are looking for partners who can
come and at least help us wake up
Familia
to a better standard
who can maybe support the FAMAS with
some incentive like the fertilizer tools
with the use of tobacco tobacco
companies give a lot of chemicals and
the cause of the poor use of chemicals
many pests at the camp assistant
partners who can also partner with us
actually to conduct workshops and
seminars to teach farmers to change from
one from this tobacco to other
productive crops which are not harmful
to our environment and if I wrote this
like the company we are partnered with
there's no conduct or actual to the
farmers they just they just came to help
us just to buy the chili from the
farmers we are not able to conduct
workshops because actually they're
expensive to know moving up and up and
down moving around moving a lot around
like it and that's why actually the
number has not been so much but you do
do a viewer would have them another
option and how we can reach min I think
you'd be better so that's why you're
good but nothing one doesn't have to
look to another continent to see the
conflict between advancing technology
and care for creation we merely have to
step outside or turn on our televisions
radios or computers to see a struggle
between advancement in whatever way you
want to define that and our duty as
Christians to care for creation in
virtually every city in town discussions
are being held on issues such as tree
ordinances public transportation
industrial regulations and flood control
we live in a society where we must
constantly balance our desire for
economic expansion and care for creation
we live in a society where we can no
longer assume that future generations
will experience the earth the same way
previous generations have the opening
section of the social principles on the
natural world reads all creation is the
Lord's and we are responsible for the
ways in which we use and abuse it water
air soil minerals energy resources
plants animal life and space are to be
valued and conserved because they are
God's creation and not solely because
they are useful to human beings
God has granted us stewardship of
creation we should meet these
stewardship duties through acts of
loving care and respect economic
political social and technological
developments have increased our human
numbers and lengthened and enriched our
lives
however these developments have led to
regional defoliation dramatic extinction
of species massive human suffering
overpopulation and misuse and
overconsumption of natural and
non-renewable resources particularly by
industrialized societies
this continued course of action
jeopardizes the natural heritage that
God has entrusted to all generations
therefore let us recognize the
responsibility of the church and its
members to place a high priority on
changes in economic political social and
technological lifestyles to support a
more ecologically equitable and
sustainable world leading to a higher
quality of life for all of God's
creation this section of the social
principles covers eight distinct areas
water air soil minerals and plants
energy resource utilization animal life
global climate stewardship space Science
and Technology food safety and food
justice we encourage you to read the
entire section but today we will
summarize just a few of the key points
one area of consideration in examining
the natural world overall is climate
justice while this topic has received a
great deal of political attention in
recent years climate justice and our
responsibility to the environment are
firmly rooted in the Bible and the
traditions of the United Methodist
Church in Genesis God looks at all of
creation and declares it to be very good
Isaiah prophesies the earth dries up and
Withers
the world languages and withers the
heavens language together with the earth
the earth lies polluted under its
inhabitants for they have transgressed
laws violated the statutes
broken the everlasting covenant in the
biblical creation story God gives
humankind dominion over all creation
humans were created by God to care for
to be stewards of God's creation
Isaiah warns his readers that failure to
accept that responsibility of
stewardship results in a wounded earth
and a wounded earth is mourned by the
heavens when humans wound God's creation
God feels the wound our United Methodist
tradition of firms that all creation is
the Lord's and we are responsible for
the ways in which we use and abuse it
all of creation is to be valued simply
because it is God's not because it has
some value or use to humans we are the
stewards of and are called to care for
God's creation again many of these
issues can easily become political
discussions rather than theological
discussions that's just the nature of
the world in which we live but the
social principles are specifically
described as speaking to human issues in
our contemporary world we live in a
contemporary world where issues
surrounding the care of creation have
become a political conversation it is
our duty as the people called Methodists
to utilize scripture tradition reason
and experience to engage in a prayerful
study dialogue of faith and practice to
that end paragraph 160 point D speaks to
global climate stewardship we
acknowledge the global impact of
humanity's disregard for God's creation
the adverse impacts of global climate
change disproportionately affect
individuals and nations least
responsible for the emissions we
therefore support efforts of all
governments to require mandatory
reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
and call on individuals congregations
businesses industries and communities to
reduce their emissions the Bible also
informs our understanding of food
justice in Ezekiel we read
behold this was the guilt of your sister
Sodom she and her daughters had pride
excess of food and prosperous ease but
did not aid the poor and needy likewise
the Book of Leviticus states and when
you reap the harvest of your land you
shall not reap your field right up to
its edge nor shall you gather the
gleanings after your harvest you shall
leave them for the poor and for the
Sojourner I am the Lord your God we will
always live in a world where some people
have more than others but we should also
be living in a world where those who
have more than they need share the
bounty with those who suffer there is a
strong biblical foundation for taking
care of the poor and the needy in fact
Jesus speaks to it directly during the
Sermon on the Mount Lord when was it
that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or naked or sick or in prison
and did not take care of you then he
will answer them truly I tell you just
as you did not do it to one of the least
of these you did not do it to me when we
withhold dignity and the basic
necessities of life from someone else
we are withholding from Jesus just as
you did not do it to one of the least of
these you did not do it to me
I am fortunate that I have access to all
the food I could ever want or need
within three miles of my house there are
five major chain grocery stores where I
can buy any food I want from anywhere
around the world there are dozens of
corner markets where I can pick up a
quick snack I can have my pick of not
one but two different farmers markets
and two different pick your own produce
establishments but if I Drive just a few
miles down the road I suddenly find
myself in a food desert there are
communities all around us where there is
no grocery store there are communities
within the bounds of our conference
where the only available grocery store
charges such exorbitant prices that some
in the town can't afford to buy their
food there and there is no public
transportation to take people to an
adequate and affordable food supply
this is denying people of access to a
basic necessity of human life for these
reasons the social principles clearly
state we support policies that increase
access to quality food particularly for
those with the fewest resources we
affirm local sustainable and small-scale
agriculture opportunities that allow
communities to feed themselves we decry
policies that make food inaccessible to
the communities where it has grown and
the farm workers involved in its growth
further we call upon our churches to do
all in their power to speak
prophetically to the matters of food
supply and to the people who grow the
food for the world and to develop
ministries that build food security and
local communities these are just a few
examples of the way in which United
Methodists have publicly declared that
they will put their faith into action if
you want more information on any of
these topics involving the natural world
I hope you will find time to look deeper
into paragraph 160 of the social
principles
John Wesley is quoted as saying
Christianity is essentially a social
religion to turn it into a solitary
religion is indeed to destroy it in
other words we are called to live our
faith in the public sphere we are called
to heed the teachings of the Bible and
the traditions of our faith and to live
boldly in society we hope this short
examination of the natural world has
sparked within you a desire to engage in
a prayerful study dialog of faith and
practice and we hope you will use these
videos with others to take a closer look
at what it means to live as persons of
faith in this world please join us next
week as the Reverend amygdala Rosales
leads us through a discussion of the
nurturing community thank you for
joining us
you
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