AN INVITATION FROM MANNA GUM & THE SEEDS NETWORK

March 2009

Dear friends,

From the middle of this week until early April, many of us will receive a payment of $900-$950 from the Government as part of its economic stimulus package. Before rushing out to the shopping mall, consider this for a moment:

1. The current economic crisis (in which people are now losing jobs) is a basically a product of our collective greed – rampant consumerism fueled by runaway debt.

2. Our consumer economy is killing the planet through climate change and depletion of resources (soils, rivers, forests and oceans) – poorer countries are suffering the impact of this already.

The Government wants us to do more of the same – to use the $900 to shop till we drop, and consume our way out of recession.

What does the Christian faith have to say about this?

Jesus is clear about our responsibility to the world around us:

1. To reject selfishness and consider the needs of our neighbour (Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 22:37-40).

2. To provide an example, or a witness, that offers light and hope in the world (Matthew 5:13-16).

3. To act differently from what is considered ‘normal’ (Matthew 7:13-14).

4. All of this includes what we do with our money (Luke 16:10-13)!

Do something different!

Manna Gum and the Seeds Network are inviting people to take up a challenge to do something different. Rather than using it for yourself, we are urging people to consider putting their ‘manna from Kevin’ (a $12 billion splurge of public money) towards healing some of the destructiveness of our economy. This could take many forms:

1. Support those who suffer most.

* Since mid-2007 people in poor countries across three continents have been suffering a serious food crisis – this is a direct product of our economic system and has consequences far more direct and serious than our financial crisis. You could give money to an overseas development project in a country suffering from the food crisis. See http://www.letsgiveitaway.org * In Australia, those will suffer most from the current crisis will be those who lose their jobs, those who depend on casual labour and those already dependent on welfare. You could support an agency who works to support such people such as Urban Seed, The Brotherhood of St Laurence or The Smith Family. * Also in Australia, many indigenous Australians have never benefitted from our economic prosperity. You could support an organisation seeking to heal the great rift between indigenous Australians and everybody else such as Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR).

2. Reducing our impact.

* The greatest challenge for our country and planet is to try to avert as much climate change as we possibly can. Currently the Australian Government’s climate change policies give little cause for hope. You could give money to an organisation campaigning to get our government to take serious action such as GetUp or the Australian Conservation Foundation. * We all need to reduce our household impact upon the planet. You could use the money to buy and install water tanks, solar hot water, or photovoltaic solar panels. There are also rebates to assist with these things.

3. Symbolic action

Do something that reveals the absurdity of our current system:

 · Send the money to your State Premier and ask them to put it towards a decent public transport system.

 · Wait until the introduction of the Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme and buy $900 of carbon credits (about 36 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions) thus preventing anyone from emitting that carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Rip up your credit so that it can never be used.

 · Withdraw your money in cash and stick it under your mattress!

4. Many more possibilities … let us know what you come up with.

Talk about it

* Whatever you do, we urge you to begin talking about it with other people. In particular: if you belong to a weekly Bible study or home group, make it a subject for conversation one night.

Visit mannafromkevin.wordpress.com to share your ideas and see what others have done. You can also read some reflections on the economic stimulus package here.

About the Seeds Network

Seeds describes conversations, connections and commitments that take place around themes of spirituality, community and mission that have emerged out of the life of Urban Seed and are now shared by groups of people who live close to each other and the poor, share regular meals and organise in order to publicly express the following: Know the Word, Grow Home Through Slow Food and Go Engage.

About Manna Gum

1. provide resources for Christian groups to understand and practise the social, economic and political implications of the Gospel of Christ; and

2. stimulate critical thinking on issues of aid and development, poverty and wealth, and to undertake research and advocacy on matters concerning Australian aid and development involvement overseas.