Choose Life and not Death

In Window from the Ark column, a priest who worked for a missionary organization of the  Vatican while visiting an area of South East Asia, saw for the first time the tapioca plant. Tapioca is extracted from the cassava root that is native to South America and is now grown in many parts of the world. The starch is used in many different ways, food, fuel and even in the making of alcohol.

Africa is  a supplier. East Asia supplies 30 % of the world's production, which has changed the way we are world. And we find ourselves continually adapting to changes in our environment, not always correctly.

With genetic changes in the make up of life we have adaptation to our environment and evolution. This adaptation allows the individual and species to evolve but also become a monster. Cancer is an example of an outside influence on the cell that turns it into a monster. The columnist mentions a movie in which the earth seen from its perspective: humans have become a virus to the earth.  If we don't stop the damage we are doing to the earth it will be the death of one or the other.

He meditates on this scenario for this time of the year. What is the kind of world we Christians envisage God wants, and how do we prepare for it? Like a  life organism it would be a healthy and harmonious earth if nutrients were sent to all corners of the earth and especially those in most  need. It would include respect and love for all and avoidance of  pride and egoism in the care of all, the way Jesus showed us.   

The world is losing the fire for this love. Instead we have extreme greed, and fear as reasons for our lack of cooperation. Failure to solve the problems we face, increase the suffering of the weak, and inflict  pain on ourselves and society. 

Law which is to protect the weak is on the side of the strong and the gap between them, continues to increase. Instead of ridding  ourselves of the injustices in society we make it worse. Harmony and a win-win approach is not part of our thinking:  appropriate at this time of year.

Church as mission, and  disciples of Jesus are to be with those hurting, the poor, to share with them, and to live the good news.  This is not a question of morality but of life. Cooperation and harmony breaking down in society is a serious malady that  torments the earth. " Let the heavens and the earth listen, that they may be witnesses against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life that you and your descendants may  live" (Deut. 30: 19).