By Anglican Communion Environmental Network
Affluent thoughts from the global north
“The Israelites had to learn contentment. They had to learn to be content with what they were able to gather each day (Exodus 16). They had to trust that God would provide for them the next day.
That feels a long way from where we are today, with our full shelves and our full store cupboards, our habit when we think something’s running out; we rush to the shops, and we fill those cupboards up as much as we can.
We live in a highly consumer-focused society that teaches us always to want more. We’re embedded in an economic system that is absolutely based on growth; but that emphasis on financial growth is coming at a cost. It’s killing our planet.
Exodus 16 teaches us to learn contentment and to say, ‘I have enough.’ Being content comes from a foundation of gratitude. Ruth Valerio, Canterbury Cathedral, Sunday, Sept 3, 2023.
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