Much more attractive to our ears is the prevailing siren song of instant gratification, individualism and consumerism. Jesus always offered sinners the opportunity to begin anew. Rather than become paralyzed by guilt, we can be energized by the challenge to expand our understanding of moral behavior and to take that message to our politicians and communities. Perhaps a new metaphor may be helpful in thinking about Christian ethics. Agriculture is sustainable when nutrients are continuously added to the soil, so that our farming does not deplete it.
Energy is sustainable when it relies on renewable resources such as wind and water.
The economy of our town is sustainable when the small businesses that line Main Street are not sabotaged by the building of a strip mall on the outskirts of town. Sustainability, in other words, has to do with ongoing-ness. Our lives are sustainable when they do not jeopardize the lives of those who follow us. They are sustainable when they contribute to the health and well-being of God's creation, rather than harming it. I believe that sustainability is another way of talking about loving God and loving our neighbor.