Making Connections (continued)

Bosco the Bear got caught up in the same problem. He liked the attention that he was getting from the other bears, he especially liked how his den was being made more comfortable thanks to the honey he could sell. Soon, the bees weren’t as important as the stuff he could get from the other bears. In the process, he almost lost his real friends.

Both stories are about the danger of exploitation. We can easily get caught up in making more money, getting more stuff. But we need to remember that there is more to life, we need to look around, and sometimes think about how we are getting the money, or the things we possess and what it is costing others. The market atmosphere of the temple, was costing the non-Jews their prayer time. Bosco’s business was costing the bees their honey and could have cost Bosco their friendship. Some of the things we do affect other people or our environment. If we are inclined to work many hours, it may be costing our families time with us. It may end up costing our health. We also see how our use of fossil fuels has affected our environment, we see how our diets affect not only our health, but can have a great affect on the economy and the lives of those who produce our food. In the stories of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, as well as those places where landmines have been planted, we see how military campaigns costs lives long after wars have ended.

Let’s take some time and think about the things we do, the affects they have on others and the environment, and ways we can reduce the costs to ourselves, our families and our world.