Creation Spirituality Isn’t About Saving the Planet

Repentance Reimagined Through the Sacred Web of Creation

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I have a confession to make.

I realize this may not sit well with some of you, but here goes…

I’m not a fan of camping.

There it is, on the table, out in the open. Nope, nope, nope. Not for me.

I don’t enjoy long hikes in the woods. I don’t long to disconnect from the internet and wander into wild places. In fact, when I think of it, the first things that come to mind are mosquitos, snakes, bears, and sharks. I’ll let others “rough it” for me while I stay home.

Meanwhile…

I love my backyard.

Green foliage everywhere. In the surrounding neighbors’ yards, majestic oak trees stretch out their leafy limbs to the sky, offering me plenty of shade. Along my chain link fence, vines climb and spill over, forming a living wall. A rose bush weaves along the fence, adding spashes of red to the green.

One of my greatest joys is sipping coffee out there in the morning. I soak in the breeze on my skin, the birdsong in the trees, the squirrels darting between branches. In the midst of the vitality, I allow myself to fall into Centering Prayer.

So, you see, just because I don’t like to dive into the depths of nature, I still love immersion in it. While others love to go in over their heads on weekend wilderness adventures, I prefer something akin to stepping into the kiddie pool.

But, you know what? Nature is still nature.

I can appreciate feeling connected to nature no less in my backyard than on a forest path.

My backyard is my sanctuary. It is the place where I get to step out of the workaday world for a while and experience something other than a capitalist ethos.

The capitalist ethos

Years ago I saw a car advertisement (I believe for Mercedes-Benz) that showed an image of a luxury car, and the caption underneath said “Feel the love.”

Seriously? How the hell is one supposed to feel “love” from a car?

More likely, the ad was alluding to the effect that owning the car would have on others. Buy this car, and people will admire, respect, and even envy you. That’s the “love” they were selling.

The only way ads like that can work is if they speak to a deep human need. In this case, it’s the need to connect with others. Let’s face it, we really don’t feel that sense of connection in our society very often. In fact, many are starved for it.

We live in a culture that teaches us to be individualistic consumers. We’re taught to act on the world, to acquire things, to bend reality to our will. You push the billiard ball, and you make things happen. Your power lies in your ability to actively acquire things and bring them under your control.

Here’s the catch…

While you exercise your power in the world to bring more and more under your control, you have to be careful not to come under the control of another.

And, what makes you vulnerable to such manipulation? It’s your emotional connection to others. It’s your sense of responsibility to others beyond yourself that prevents you from being an individual agent pursuing your own wants and needs.

By maintaining your sense of independence, you protect yourself from becoming vulnerable.

When you have an entire culture of people functioning as individuals disconnected from those around them who are trying to acquire more and more in this life, you have a culture ripe before consumerism. You have an audience willing to pay top dollar for products that promise them superior status and the ability to acquire the admiration, respect, and envy of their peers.

The Engine of Our Undoing

Capitalism and consumerism have become cultural defaults, but they’re not neutral. They are ways of being. And they are destroying us.

Capitalism intentionally leverages the power of human self-interest. Self-interest (especially greed) is the engine that drives the capitalist machine.

Businesses lower prices to undercut the competition and make money. Businesses raise prices when they know they have a captive audience who will buy regardless, thus making them more money.

The dominant principle businesses follow today (especially for large companies) is this: Their primary ethical responsibility is to maximize shareholder returns.

It’s not about compassion. It’s not about making the world a better place. It’s not about you. It’s about making a profit. Period.

Meanwhile…

Consumerism leverages the human need for security. If you want to be powerful, if you want to have friends, if you want to thrive you must acquire more. Money, status, relationships, experiences. More is never enough. Just as businesses compete for economic wealth, individuals compete with their neighbors. And what is the best way to arm yourself in this competition? Consume. Then, consume more.

I grew up in a capitalist and consumerist culture. I've learned my lessons regarding what it takes to succeed. And as I sit in my backyard and watch the various birds fly from one yard to another, as I see the trees in the neighbors’ yards stretch over my own offering me shade unbidden, I experience a contrast that reveals to me the underlying horror fueling our society today.

Postmodern culture is experiencing a meaning crisis.

Why have we lost sight of Meaning?
Is there any hope of getting it back?
Better yet, is the loss of Meaning really a bad thing?

If you long for a path forward, my theology book Drinking from an Empty Glass: Living Out of a Meaningless Spirituality is the book you’re looking for.