Life is full of paradoxes! At this time of the year, when the beauty and abundance of all creation is at its zenith in Washington State, I am reminded by National Geographic that by the year 2030, there will be no more ice that presently makes up the polar cap during the summer months due to global warming.

As I enjoy peaches, apples and berries in my own back yard, I am reminded that in Asian, African and Latin American countries alone, well over 500 million people are living in what the World Bank has called “absolute poverty.” The air is clean and refreshing as I sit on my deck and watch a pink Mount Rainier fade into the sunset, drawing me into a trance of wonder and awe. At the same time, I know that I am the citizen of a country with the dubious distinction as a leading emitters of greenhouse gases, which are poisoning our planet.

How can I enjoy such abundance when so many do not? How can there be so much lack in the midst of such plenty?

I have struggled with this question for years as a follower of Jesus and an advocate for stewardship as a way of life and I have come to several conclusions:

• I believe without question that God wants all people to experience the abundance that I enjoy each day.
• I believe that to those who have been given much, much is expected.
• I believe unwaveringly in God’s abundance; but, at times, I question the human capacity to share.
• I believe our world does not face a shortage of resources, but we do face an unjust distribution of those resources.
• I believe Jesus knew and lived this tension as well.

We have big issues to decide as a nation, as municipalities and as communities and many of them focus on ways to share the abundance in life with all in our care. Stewardship, grounded in Catholic Social Teaching, calls us to be faithful to receiving, developing, sharing and returning the abundance of this life at all levels of human design. We do not to sacrifice what we enjoy in order to live in right relationship; but we do need to remember that we are caretakers, not owners. We are recipients and not the source. May the abundance of your summer days overflow with the desire and commitment to appreciate, care and share all that God gives.

Carol Guenther, Consultant, Mediator
The Reid Group