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Live simply, live sustainably, live in solidarity with the poor
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Forty years ago Pope John VI of the catholic faith wrote an encyclical to his church community entreating them all to assess their lives to see whether lifestyle choices were ones that augured well for true and responsible use of the earth’s resources.
Although, his intended messages in the document were directed to the Catholic Church, he urged his flock to live lives that ensured that all human beings - Christians, Muslims, Jews, pagans and all and sundry – partake equally in the enjoyment of the earth’s resources to fully reach their potential. John VI entitled his encyclical Populorum Progressio, Latin words that translate into English as ‘On the development of peoples’.
The pope’s teachings were about the growing poverty and injustice of the developing world. |
The key message in there was that God (Allah,
Jah, Jehovah, Yahweh, or whichever way you would want to call the creator of the universe) calls us all to look hard, in fact, reassess our individual lifestyles and choose to live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the poor.
Pope John VI explained that that way we can actually help create a world in which human dignity is respected and every individual reach his or her full potential. He wrote, “This would be true progress [for humankind] that is worth more than economic growth alone”.
Dear reader, if you have been following me for some time, you’d know by now that I am a thoroughbred Roman Catholic but I hope you agree with me that the pope’s message cuts across faith barriers. In hindsight the message is pretty cool and relevant to whatever faith you believe in, that it is still very poignant and true about today’s world. This is why we must talk about it.
Because of the overindulgence of a small population of the world, majority of us are made to pay for or bear the brunt of hash social, economic and environmental consequences. Presently only about 20% of the world’s population enjoys more than 80% of its wealth. The situation is even grimmer if we consider the fact that about a third of the world’s population strives to live on less than a dollar a day.
It is true that poor countries pay for most of the excesses of the western world and this is unfair practice. We hear, read and talk about climate change, depleting earth’s resources, near-apocalypse economic meltdowns in many parts of the world yet other parts are awash with obscene extravagances. Majority of such people does not either know that “dem belly full make we hungry” or they simply do not care.
Not any more! We must talk about it. We must let them know that the gold, diamonds, oil, timber, tin, copper, most foods et al that they enjoy in excess here, they do not produce them. We may have them but we know not of the joys they give humankind. We must tell them. But we must also know that living simply and sustainably is not only their remit. The onus is also on us to ensure that our own lifestyles can sustain the earth for generations to come.
This is why Pope John VI encyclical teaching forty years ago is still loud and clear.
In fact, forty years on, since its publication, a network of some religious organizations have recently launched a Livesimply project or campaign to try to get people to reflect and also take action on the message.
People are being urged to make pledges as to how they can live simply, live sustainably and also live in solidarity with the poor. How are you going to live from today on?
The Livesimply project envisages that by working together we would achieve a committed, engaged and confident peoples motivated by our long-term faith commitments enabled through prayer and reflection to read the signs of the times; to understand and to challenge the structures that keep people in poverty including our own way of life; and also to take action to bring about change.
Remember that emphasis is on living life to full potential albeit simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the poor. In order words we are all reminded of the fact that we are not the only ones in this world and that whatever we do we should consider others as equal amongst many.
We all know the saying: If you live in a glasshouse do not throw stones. Our world now is a very delicate glass sphere tilting on the conscience of a few greedy and voracious individuals. We must all get together and remind them of their deeds but first, let us look deep within ourselves and make amends.
Vox populei vox dieu – the voice of the people is the voice of GOD.
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