The New Normal

The locavore movement has gained popularity in the last decade. Locavores try to buy food that is produced and processed within a certain radius of their home. This helps the environment, as well as local economies. I tried this for about a day and gave up. I’m too dependent on coffee, oranges, bananas, rice, etc.—none of which grows in my local weather. A few centuries ago, most families grew their own food or bought it from their neighbors. They lived close to the land which supplied their needs. Transporting food materials across continents was not as common as it is now.

The exodus from farming areas to big cities started during the industrial revolution. We have grown accustomed to being separated from the source of our sustenance. This new way is less restricting, less limiting. Those that are tied to the land are considered the weird ones now.

Similarly, we have become accustomed to living apart from God, the source of our sustenance. We don’t want to live under the shadow of the Almighty. We don’t want to be under His thumb, to be overly influenced by Him. Instead, we want our independence. We want to live on our own terms. So we have intentionally put some distance between us and God. This is the new normal.