<div class="youtube-wrap" id="youtube2-9GorqroigqM"><div class="youtube-inner"></div></div><div><hr /></div><div class="digest-post-embed"></div><blockquote><p><em><strong>A NOTE ABOUT MY WORK</strong>: On June 30, I am leaving my full-time job with InterVarsity USA. If you’d like to make that more possible, please become a paid subscriber. My new work will be with<a href="https://bit.ly/Support-CBR-ArochaUSA"> AROCHA USA // Center for Beauty and Resistance</a>. If you <a href="https://bit.ly/Support-CBR-ArochaUSA">DONATE</a> you will be made a founding member here. Thanks for your prayers, support and generosity.</em></p></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p>15 years ago, I watched the Story of Stuff and it wrecked me. The quote from economist, Victor Lebow has shown up in every book I’ve written since and marks the choices I make each day. I want live a life in beauty and resistance to this assertion. </p><blockquote><p>Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption. We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced, and discarded at an ever increasing rate.</p></blockquote><p>The word that sticks out to me today is “rituals”. If we are going to co-create a renewed world, imagine and embody a different way of being in the world that aligns with the kingdom of God then our rituals need to change. But often we don’t have to will and the means to do so. And so it goes with many justice issues. The cycle of awareness > > outrage > > unsustainable action > > burnout > > escape continues while injustice and exploitation is as consistent as the sunrise and sunset. There has to be a better way. </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" href="https://bit.ly/BeautyAndResistanceAMZ" target="_blank"><div class="image2-inset"><source type="image/webp" /><img alt="" class="sizing-normal" height="800" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BpR2!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F960e67a3-cf4c-4b5d-bf99-f26b3e8de480_800x800.jpeg" width="800" /><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image" tabindex="0" type="button"><svg fill="none" height="20" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="1.5" viewBox="0 0 20 20" width="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image" tabindex="0" type="button"><svg class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2" fill="none" height="20" stroke="currentColor" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div>
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