Today I had the chance to re-connect with a young woman that I had worked with for about a year when she was a freshman in college. She is now married and well into her career (teaching). I always find it interesting to see how college has molded (changed?) a young person.
We began to talk about her lifestyle. She is a self-proclaimed eco-friendly activist. She and her husband only have one bag of trash each week. Their goal is to have only one large bag PER YEAR! She shared with me the waste of buying and using bottled water. (What a waste of landfill space!) Vegetable skins, egg shells, etc. should be composted. It is so important not to waste the earth that God has given us.
I was really impressed with her eco-education and her commitment! She was adamant about preserving the world that God gave us.
And then, somehow, the conversation turned to having babies. As a 51 year old, I understand her mother’s desire for grandchildren. In the midst of this conversation, I innocently asked if she was going to use cloth or disposable diapers. (Disposable diapers make up 3% of landfills according to the Fall 1988 edition of The Earth Review). Immediately she said to me, “I will not use cloth diapers. I don’t want to have to rinse a ‘poopy diaper’!” In that one moment, her eco-credibility bottomed out (pun intended). If it involved something unpleasant, forget about it!
So how often do I blow my Christian credibility because I am not willing to do something unpleasant??? How about you?
