Abundant community theology: Working towards environmental and economic sustainability (EES)

Let’s consider two mindsets we might have.

A scarcity mindset means we see the world through a lens of lack or shortage. We live as though there is
not enough for everyone. Economic markets become places where people compete for limited resources. Ultimately, this mindset leads us to selfishly hoard and consume resources, often at the expense of both people and the planet, rather than demonstrating love and care.

With this mindset, we can think the solution to economic poverty is increasing production: simply making more stuff. But this can further perpetuate the problems. We need something more a different approach.
As followers of Jesus, we can adopt a mindset that is more relational, responsible and biblical.

An abundant community mindset is a theology that views humanity as relational beings, fundamentally interconnected with one another and the rest of creation, living within a world that has enough resources for all. As we adopt this mindset, we start to see the world not as a market of fierce competition, but as a shared home: a place in which we recognise our deep connectedness to people near and far, to our Creator God, and to wider creation.

We come to understand that true wealth is not stored in our bank accounts, but in the health of our relationships with others, with God, and with wider creation. We don’t ignore the facts which tell us
we have finite resources. But we assume that in God’s world, there is always enough:
not enough to hoard or exploit, but enough to share generously with others– and not just our money, possessions and goods, but also our power, voices and lives.

As such, it’s more about an abundance of love, hope and trust – a relational abundance – than an abundance of material things. And an abundant community mindset reshapes our theology of economic poverty. The problem, we realise, is not poverty ‘over there’, to which the economically wealthy have the solution.

Rather, the problem is ur flawed mindset of scarcity. And the solution is for those with an excess, and those with not enough, to connect deeply nd share what they have with one another to bring change.

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