Lent 4.5

Why Christian Simplicity and Lent? Why 4.5?

The Passionist Earth & Spirit Center is leading this program in churches in Louisville, KY this Lent.

Through a measuring tool called Global Footprint (www.footprintnetwork.org), we are able to assess the impact of various lifestyles upon the Earth. It is a complex process, but a simple formula.

At present, there are approximately 6.5 billion humans alive on the planet. If we divide the planet evenly so that each of us receives a fair-share, every person would be entitled to 4.5 acres (2009 data). From that 4.5 acres each of us would have to find the wherewithal to cultivate our food, the materials to construct and heat our homes, make our furniture, produce our clothes, manufacture our appliances, turn out our gadgets, and produce energy for our transportation. 4.5 acres would be each person’s fair-share.

The Global Footprint tool enables us to measure the impact of any given segment of a population upon the Earth. For example, we can calculate how many acres it take to support the lifestyle of an individual, a business, a city, or a country. According to 2009 data, Tanzania uses 2.6 acres to support the lifestyle of its residents, while the portion of the Earth needed to support the way of life in Congo is 1.3 acres. Iraq takes 3.3 acres; Saudi Arabia calls for 6.5 acres. The average Chilean requires 7.4 acres to sustain their lifestyle; India 2.2 acres; Japan 12.1 acres; Germany 10.4 acres; Ireland 15.5 acres; Mexico needs 8.4 acres; and Canada demands 17.5 acres. In the United States of America it takes a staggering 22.3 acres to support our lifestyle.

Regardless of our personal habits of consumption, anyone living in the United States benefits from the infrastructures, conveniences, food choices, travel options, and medical advantages of a standard of living that demands 23.3 acres of the Earth. If our fair-share is 4.5 acres of the Earth’s resources that means others must do with less so we can maintain our standard of living. This disparity gives an entirely new meaning to the Biblical admonition: thou shalt not steal.

For a long time, many of us wanted to believe that justice meant working to lift others up to our level of affluence. However, that is impossible given the limitations of this planet. Estimates suggest that it would take four or five Earths to accomplish that elevation in lifestyles. And of course, we only have one. There are not another four Earth-like planets anywhere in sight. Hence, the designation LENT 4.5: Christian Simplicity – how can our Lenten fast be engaged as an effort to live within our 4.5 acre limit?

We have a huge global problem. We Catholics in the affluent United States especially have a problem. How can we share this planet with over 6 billion other human beings in a way that enables all of us to live with dignity? Specifically, how can our observance of Lent 2010 make a direct response to global poverty and manifest our Catholic position on justice for all human beings?

One reason the environment is in serious peril and many of the planet’s eco-systems are near collapse is due to human consumption habits. For the most part, we see the Earth not as a sacred endowment, but a resource for our consumption. The Earth is regularly assessed as a pre-manufactured commodity. This consumer mentality drives our economy and our personal lives. Given the prevailing mindset in our country, we are seemingly willing to exhaust the Earth’s resources and deprive future generations in order to feed our economy and satisfy our ravenous desires.

The Leadership of Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI is speaking out with increasing forcefulness on this issue. While traveling to Sidney, Australia for World Youth Day, the Pope emphasized that there is a need to “wake up consciences.” He went on to explain that “we have to give impulse to rediscovering our responsibility and to finding an ethical way to change our way of life” (July 17, 2008).

While addressing the massive audiences at World Youth Day, Pope Benedict used his position on the world stage to clearly state the connection between consumerism, injustice and destruction of the Earth: “Today the great gift of God’s creation is exposed to serious dangers and lifestyles which can degrade it. Environmental pollution is making particularly unsustainable the lives of the poor of the world … we must pledge ourselves to take care of creation and to share its resources in solidarity” (July 24, 2008).

At the United Nations General Assembly, Pope Benedict went directly to what is becoming his paradigm for global justice. He again made the connection between caring for God’s creation and caring for God’s creatures. “Indeed, questions of security, development goals, reduction of local and global inequalities, protection of the environment, of resources and of the climate, require all international leaders to act jointly and to show a readiness to work in good faith, respecting the law, and promoting solidarity with the weakest regions of the planet” (April 18, 2008).