PEACE - The Fruit Of The Spirit As An Antidote To Consumerism

Man drawing peaceful art onto a wall.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God - Jesus

If we are called to be peacemakers, to cultivate peace in our lives, then this must extend to every area of our life - including where our money goes and the things that we consume.

This forces us to ask the difficult questions that we try to avoid. Anyone who has seen the film Blood Diamond will know that where our diamonds come from can cause much bloodshed and violence - fuelling destructive wars for selfish gain. This is also true for so many other things that we buy.

Our electronics and jewellery most likely contain conflict minerals that are used to fuel civil wars and cause pain for so many people, wreaking havoc on whole societies. This happens because we care more about keeping up with the latest trends and technology than about being peacemakers.

Many of the banks that we use make harmful investments with our money that fuel the fires of war. Investments in controversial and illegal weapons like cluster bombs that kill and maim civilians far after conflicts have ended. Investments in nuclear weapons that put life as we know it at risk. This happens because we care more about interest rates and perks than about being peacemakers.

If we truly intend to be peacemakers and to cultivate peace in our lives then this involves truly looking at what we buy and do with our money as consumers. It involves looking at where we buy our technology and other goods from, and then making decisions in keeping with being peacemakers (one example being the brilliant Fairphone 2 that has just come out). It also involves looking at where our money is being invested into (for example looking at www.moveyourmoney.org.uk), and then making better decisions from that information.

May we be those that look beyond price, perks and interest. May we be those that will not pander to fashion and vanity at the price of peace, and may we be those that cultivate peace in every aspect of our lives.

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