Lately I've noticed big birds - namely crows - being chased by smaller birds - mockingbirds, sparrows, etc. The smaller birds are trying to recover something that the crows have. It seems that the sparrows are chasing the crows with all their might, trying to get back food or another treasured item that was stolen by the crows. This reminds me of humanity - the powerful stealing from the powerless or less fortunate because they can, making life easier for themselves all the while creating chaos and pain for the victim. I don't want to be one of the black birds, nor do I want to be one of the sparrows. But it seems that we're destined to be one or the other. Perhaps we can choose to be the exploiter of riches, the powerful "lording it over" those "beneath us." But do we have a choice when we are the exploited? I mean is there a way we can change our circumstances so that we are not subject to anyone save Christ? I really don't know; I'm just pondering. My initial inclination is that we can certainly choose to be or not to be the exploiter, but that we find ourselves as the exploited more often than not - even though we're fairly "well off" in our current lifestyles. Hmmm...however, we are continually the exploiters without even knowing it - our society seems to be set up on a system of silent exploitation - in this way we are both the exploited and the exploiter at the same time! Afterall, how much of our clothes, household items, and other material goods are made on the backs of those who are paid less than it costs for one gallon of gas, our food produced or picked by workers who are lucky to have a safe place to live, and the fuel that runs this computer and most of our electricity obtained by utterly destroying mountain tops, entire ecosystems, and creating serious health problems for the people who live in those areas? If you're wondering about any of these things, feel free to check out some websites on fair trade, mountain top removal, migrant workers. Some good sites are http://www.sojo.net/, restoringeden.org, christiansforthemountains.org, google migrant workers living conditions & see what comes up! May the Lord be merciful to us and show us a different way.
Well, that's all I've got for now...I desperately need a nap...hopefully I can catch a little snooze while my little one is still snoozing! Peace.
