Commonwealth

Heard a programme this week about the Commonwealth - it was a bit tongue in cheek fronted by Hardeep Singh (very funny man).

He pointed out all of the worthy things like mutual support while keeping a watchful eye on other less good things like empire building and colonisation of other nations that have no real association or need of an empirical presence.

In these days when we rightly look with suspicion at globalisation and multi national trading is there not a time for a new thinking on commonwealth i.e. a real sharing of common wealth - looking at broad, massive, fair trading, off looking after the most marginalised not only in word but in deed as well of creating funding streams that reach the root of personal need rather than corporate provision.

All sounds laudable ?

But as a member of a global organisation/church it's a challenge - start local and do the best to develop a localised common wealth.

Responsible Living

How do we live responsibly? Is it in what we use? What we don't use? What we pass judgment on? It's probably all of them but it's more to do with who we are - recognising that we all have a responsibility to look after those around us (probably especially the ones that we don't know or have no one else to look after them) the world we live in our families, our finances, our health.
Yesterday I read in the newspaper about artificial trees - is that responsibility or is it inventing something that already exists in order to salve our conscience thatwe're addressing the mess we've made in this world - by 'we' I'm obviously talking about humankind as a whole.

Just stop using as much stuff and leaving a mess everywhere we go.