Sunday, September 06, 2015

Where is your moral gravity?

212. We must not think that these efforts are not going to change the world. They benefit society, often unbeknown to us, for they call forth a goodness which, albeit unseen, inevitably tends to spread. Furthermore, such actions can restore our sense of self-esteem; they can enable us to live more fully and to feel that life on earth is worthwhile. 

Pope Francis in this paragraph asks us to change our definitions of moral rewards. He asks that we define our sense of self and our definition of esteem differently. He does not see moral content in lavishing energy use regardless of the suffering of others well within our understanding of world conditions.

Understand that. It has a great deal of depth. It is about the morality we FEEL toward each other. He is not asking to only donate money to charity, he is actually asking up to change our CHARACTER to bring about relief from the climate crisis as it relates to the rest of the world. 

What kind of person are you? 

How do you use energy?

Can you do better in energy usage that would facilitate a better climate to others?

Pope Francis is not asking up to have our children sleep in cold beds at night. Although, the winter in the northeast and the midwest has been brutal and frequently with loss of power/energy to bring heat to hearths. Pope Francis is asking everyone to reflect on the choices we make as it effects others. He finds it necessary to ask this. Conceive the asking as a definite sign of needing to do better is within it the lack of compassion he perceives. That is huge.