Thursday, June 23, 2011

Pride and Greed-The Deadliest Sins of All?

Human beings just don't get it. Pride as well as greed are very grave sins-known as two of the Seven Deadly Sins (also referred to as Capital Sins or vices). In case you've forgotten what the Seven Deadly Sins are: Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed and Sloth (avoiding work).
When I read (with dismay) that "Sea levels are rising at the fastest rate in 2,100 years" or that "Shocking reports tell of alarming rate of mass extinctions in the oceans"...you have to wonder what kind of news or scientific reports it will take to wake up the human race before pride (we can do anything we want, without consequences), or greed winds up destroying all of creation on this planet, including us. I certainly hope not.......These kinds of news stories (very trending right now on the internet), I find quite disturbing.
Some people don't believe these reports and they choose to ignore them or downplay them. But soon, according to scientists you won't be able to ignore them any longer, as the effects of global warming (starting to show up already), will be in our faces, so to speak. Unless the global community starts to act and act decisively and constructively, I fear the future will hold more bad news for our children and grandchildren.
Where are the geniuses, the innovators, the creative, out-of-the-box thinkers and scientists? Who is listening to them? Who is listening to God and the promptings of the Holy Spirit? There are certainly enough warnings and promptings being communicated to us.
In the Bible the word listen appears 1,000 times in the Hebrew Scriptures and 425 times in the New Testament. When I give talks to adults or children I always mention that. Do you think God wants us to listen? (It's pretty clear in the Bible that God does, for our own good.) Do you think God wants us to be good stewards of the Earth and care for this beautiful and awesome creation and use the resources wisely, for the good of all? I'd say, Yes! Is humankind listening? We can have a good business environment, create jobs, which this country desperately needs, while making good decisions to safeguard the environment. It's time for everyone to work together on this, because not to do so, is going to cost everyone in the future, money as well as security and well being.
The Pope seems to be listening. The Vatican has contracted "Mercedes for the first ever hybrid popemobile. That's some good news.
NJA