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2 “Where Are We?”: Living Well on Planet Earth In Annie Dillard’s reminder that we are just set down on the earth and no one knows why, she continues her reflection by making an intriguing suggestion: we could “explore the neighborhood . . . to discover where it is that we have been so startlingly set down, even if we can’t learn why.” Would it make a difference how we should live if we understood where we live? The answer seems obvious—yes, of course. And yet when we ask the question of how to live well, we often limit our context to ourselves, or at most to ourselves and God. How to live well? is considered one of those big questions that religion or spirituality deals with; hence, it is a question about our “inner life,” while economics, medicine, science, and technology deal with our “outer” or ordinary life. I would like to suggest that this division of inner and outer lies at the base of much that is wrong with contemporary analyses of how to live well. We need to look at the full context of where we live if we are to discover how to live well. We will attempt to do this in three steps. First, what would a spirituality for the planet (and not just for human beings) look like? This is a necessary step in widening our vision of where we are as we try to determine how we should live—we cannot leave out  percent of the world in our search for the good life. Second, we need to take a hard look at “the state of the planet,” especially in regard to ways we deny what is plainly before our eyes: the deterioration of the basics that support human and all other life. We do not need another reminder, full of facts and statistics, of the dire planetary status. Rather, we need to open our eyes and be willing to acknowledge “where we live.” To do this we will look at four experiments to internalize the plight of the planet— experiments in thought, feeling, morality, and art. Third, what steps might the religions take in developing a spirituality for a planet in need? What particular insights do the religions afford that are both contrary to current interpretations of our place in the scheme of things and helpful in forming our response? We will suggest that kenosis, self-restraint, giving space to others, pulling back, saying “enough,” recognizing the interdependence of all life17 18 Blessed Are the Consumers forms: these are a few of the words that attempt to describe the special—and challenging—religious contribution to the economic and ecological crises of our time. A Spirituality for the Whole Planet The current fascination with “spirituality” versus “religion,” with spirituality seen as inner and personal, while religion is institutional and traditional, is yet another indication of the narcissism of our culture. However, a  definition of spirituality by the Scottish Churches Council claims it is “an exploration into what is involved in becoming human,” and “becoming human is “an attempt to grow in sensitivity to self, to others, to the non-human creation, and to God who is within and beyond this totality.” Spirituality is not about a one-on-one relationship with God, but about growing in relationship with others, including the natural world. Spirituality is communal, learning about and caring for the world. And what is our world like these days? If we were to answer the question, Where are we? two main crises would surface immediately: global warming and the economic recession. Since climate changes are happening much faster than thought even a few years ago, the urgency of the situation is evident. In less than two decades the Arctic Ocean will be free of ice all summer, melting permafrost and releasing methane gas, which will further accelerate global warming. Researchers fear tipping points with irreversible temperature rise, and its terrifying effects. The economic crisis has retreated a bit since the dire days of spring , but the possibility of further global economic meltdown is still with us. And there is little optimism about finding a way forward to ensure that another Great Recession does not occur. These two crises point to a dilemma deep at the heart of where we live—we are living in la-la land, a place that has no relationship to the finitude of our actual home, planet earth. We are living beyond our means, both...

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