Sunday, October 23, 2011: Deuteronomy 34:1-12

When I held my first grandchild in my arms, my perception of time was transformed. I began to ponder what his life would be like. I reflected on how it would be shaped by our responses to the challenges we are facing today—global climate change, economic uncertainty, nanosecond technology and the eclipse of the American empire. I realized that as a grandparent I will have to do my best to ensure that the world will become a safe and healthy place for my grandson and all the other children born in 2010. In an interdependent universe, after all, there are hardly any private actions; everything we do reverberates across the planet. What we do in the present shapes the future and the futures of those who follow us. We are always planting seeds for fruit that we will never harvest.

Yet the majority of our personal and corporate decisions are made with little consideration of their impact on generations to come. Businesses, institutions, governmental bodies and individuals have short ethical attention spans. For many of our leaders, the moral arc of responsibility goes no further than the next quarterly report, the next bottom line or the quick fix of a serious issue. Decisions are not made with the well-being of future generations in mind. Instead, shortsightedness coupled with self-interest and greed is a significant factor in today's economic and ecological crises.

Morality is involved in every important personal, congregational and political decision we make. We should always ask: Will our decisions give our children and grandchildren a sustainable planet? Will our congregational and denominational priorities help our youth grow in wisdom, stature and spirituality? With Mother Teresa, we should ask ourselves if we're doing something beautiful for God in what we do today.