Green Missionaries

Are we tired of talking about the environment yet? I've been kicking this article around for weeks. I thought it might be redundant, since everybody's doing it. Then yesterday I kicked on the radio and there was Al Mohler, bringing it up again. It seemed like permission.

I have watched in amazement the past few years as the "Going Green" movement has gained momentum and chugged through our land. First it was just in yuppie places like Boulder and in big cities where waste disposal is a problem. Granted, there have been benefits, such as increased recycling availability. But then we had the global warming scare, and before long, school children everywhere were desperately coloring Save-The-Planet posters. Now, envrionmentalism is not a fringe worry; it's a full-blown agenda morphed into a full-blown stainless fad.

I'm old enough to remember Save the Whales campaigns and Earth Day pageantry. But I never had to color a poster at school. I didn't need to. I apprenticed under the daughters and sons of the Great Depression. (Use it up; wear it out; make do, or do without.) Then I got my degree on the mission field. My parents taught me well the Biblical stewardship we have of the earth. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ created, upholds and sustains the earth by the Word of His power. He has placed us as chief stewards to care for and use the things in it. As such, all creation awes us as it speaks of its Creator. Our job is to respectfully and joyfully use the resources He's provided, with thanks. My grandpa used to say, "I watch these trains race across the country spewing coal dust and smoke. You don't hear about that. But they try and make us old guys feel guilty about running a little lawn mower." Yes, there's some inconsistency. Thankfully, it is not up to us to save the planet. We're too small.

Nonetheless, when I was growing up, we never let the water run, we used cloth diapers, bathed in 1 inch of water, washed & reused every container, carpooled to school, gardened & canned, patched our clothes, turned off the lights when not in the room and ate leftovers. About the only "green" rule we didn't follow was the one about not having kids. But don't worry: We kept the square footage of our house down by sharing bedrooms and 1 bathroom. All that before it was stylish. My grandparents lived that way out of necessity; my parents were already in the habit; and then we moved to the mission field.

Let me tell you, missionaries are the true unsung pioneers in green living. When I hear all the chatter for solar panels and wind energy and frugality and recycling and the status symbol it's become, I laugh to myself. Do you know how long missionaries have been living off the grid, on purpose, as a way of life, without bragging, around the world? Since Christ's ascension! Part of our missions training in the 80s included learning how to take "army showers" and solar showers and setting up off-grid power and hiking instead of driving. In the real jungle, we took bucket showers and flushed with a bucket. In the African sahel, I brushed my teeth one night while a dear missionary lady watched over my shoulder to see if I used too much water. After all, her husband had to personally fill the reservoir above the house. These people could make a fortune teaching sustainability seminars.

When I went to my parents' for Thanksgiving, mom had a cheeky farm-girl magazine lying around. It was all about sewing, gardening, and doing all a girl can to save the planet chic-ly. I asked Mom if she was a subscriber. "No," she said, "I just got the free issue to see if I like it. But it's too green for me." Sez the Queen of Green.


Sadie washes ziploc bags in rural Nebraska
with her joyfully over-populated family. Though
they use grid-dependant computers and gas-guzzling
cars, they minimize their footprint by sharing
bedrooms and gardening. She recently started using
cloth pads, bumping her up to a few surplus
carbon credits she'd gladly trade for greenbacks.