Earth is Our
Home. The basis and foundation of all the elements
is the Earth. We were made from it and
we are sustained by it. We are deeply
moved by its mysterious beauty. There are
approximately 8.7 million different types of plant and animal on Earth but 90
per cent of them have yet to be discovered, according to new estimates.
Too
often, when we hear the word "house" we only think of a physical
building and its rooms. Henry David
Thoreau once said, "What is the use of a house if you haven't got a
tolerable planet to put it on?" What
if we were to become aware of Earth as our home? How would we care for this home differently
than we do now?
“The family needs a home, a fit environment in
which to develop its proper relationships.
For the human family, this home is the Earth - the environment that God
the Creator has given us to inhabit with creativity and responsibility. We need to care for the environment: it has
been entrusted to men and women to be protected and cultivated with responsible
freedom, with the good of all as a constant guiding criterion." - Pope
Benedict XVI
Let's
start in the yard. Is it a showcase of
only manicured short green grass? Is it
a place where children play? Is it a
place where adults gather and visit?
Does it have a variety of colors and shapes? Is it a place where birds can be heard
singing? Where hummingbirds and
butterflies bring delight to young and old alike? Do the sounds and sights of our lawn fuel our
imagination and feed our souls?
Porches
are a symbol of the transition between the private, individual area and the
public, communal area of our lives.
Porches are the bridge between outdoors and indoors. Do we know our neighbors? How can we create porches in our lives that
help us connect our individual life with the life of the community and that
connect the outside world of nature with our indoor lives?
In many
newer homes today, the garage makes up one-third of the house and is
prominently attached on the front of the house, becoming the entrance to the
home, obscuring the front door to the activities of the neighborhood. In the U.S., 82% of homes have two car
garages or larger. More and more of us
are using the space for extra storage instead of for our cars. Look around and see if there are things you
could do without.
The
living room is a place where families can relax, watch television, play games,
discuss important issues, greet and entertain guests. Conversations in the living room might
include serious topics affecting individual family members, the entire family
or the broader community. Conflicts can
be addressed, behavior taught and moral values explored. Such as reflecting on families who are
homeless or without other basic needs who have little space for quiet
conversation or play.
The
kitchen is the heart of the home. It is
where we feed the body and cater to the soul.
The real cost for food is not considered today. As Norman Wirba writes in Eating in
Ignorance: “The sticker price does not reflect the cost to eroded and
chemically laden soils, poisoned and depleted waters, the burning of vast
quantities of fossil fuels, abused animals, abused farm workers, poorly treated
and poorly compensated food-service providers, and the myriad number of
diet-related diseases that are causing health-care costs to skyrocket."
Food
is critical. Holidays dinners, birthday parties, welcome cookies
and funeral casseroles are more about relationship than eating. There has been a steady increase in the
number of people who go hungry. Notice how you as family,
friends or community dine. Give thanks for the fruit of Earth and the work of
human hands.
The
bedroom can be a little corner of the world that turns into a sanctuary. It is here where we have a bed for resting or
intimacy with a spouse, as well as space for personal needs, prayer or
meditation. When we look out our bedroom
window, what do we see? Perhaps we see
the night sky, radiant with sparkling stars and the moon lighting up the
sky. Perhaps it is the rising sun
bouncing off the river to greet us.
In early
history the bathroom was not even part of the house. It was a little building away from the
house. In the U.S. the average middle
class family home has two bathrooms. Two-thirds
of the water used in the home is used in the bathroom. Sanitation is a basic need that for many
people throughout the world remains an unobtainable luxury.
An attic
is generally an awkwardly shaped space with a slanted ceiling and corners that
are difficult to reach. Because of their
inaccessibility, attics often provide residents with a place to store items
that are considered unessential, unfashionable or unnecessary. Earth has no attics for storage. In fact, she has no real “away” for the
things we throw away. As we store up
things, are we only delaying the time when we will want to empty out our
storage spot?
Earth
is the element of stability, foundations and of the body. The Earth is the realm of wisdom, knowledge,
strength, growth and prosperity. It is
also the physical Earth on which we live and the very heart of life. It is essential in spells and rituals of
prosperity, business, fertility and stability. Earth is a feminine element and governs stone
and knot magic.
All
things on Earth are connected. We need
to take care of the Earth. We need to work
together for a better future. We need to
live together in peace.
- Collect rainwater in a barrel for watering your garden and trees. Cover the top of the barrel with a fine screen.
- Donate some gently used clothes and toys to shelters.
- Get to know a neighbor and find a way to help them.
- Limit your food choices to what comes from within a 50-mile radius of your home or community.
Go for a walk with a friend and notice all the
living things that need our help and protection. Talk about how you would feel if they
gradually disappeared and what we need to do to protect them.- Keep a water journal for a week recording all the ways you use water. Look for ways to conserve water and begin to do so today.
- Imagine that you and your friends are visiting from another planet. Put on a play about what you want to teach the “earthlings” about accepting differences and living together in peace.
- Make a chart and ask each family member to mark it each time they remember to turn off lights or electrical equipment when not in use. Total the marks at the end of each week. Compare the results weekly and try to increase the marks
- Plan and organize a clothing exchange party with your friends and neighbors. Sort the clothes by sizes and items.
- Create and implement plans to recycle, to reduce your use of fossil fuels and to reduce your carbon emissions.
- Plant milkweed in your yard and watch for Monarch Butterflies.
- Start a vegetable garden. Go to a garden centre to ask for gardening tips.
- Work with your family to build a compost bin in your back yard.
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