In a scene that is familiar across the nation, roadside stands, tables in empty lots, and trucks lining city sidewalks keep us in touch with the actual cycles of nature. Local berries not only cost less and taste better, but also “feel better,” in the sense of our being connected with the land and not using money to override nature. Humankind’s determination to conquer nature is an ancient contest. Sometimes we win, sometimes nature reminds us that we are guests. Scarcity turns us against each other and introduces a fundamental insecurity, as if everything from space to oil to strawberries to time were in danger of being stolen from us. The answer isn’t more efficient wars over scarcity. The answer is abundance, specifically a better attitude toward sharing and less obsession with controlling.
(Tom Ehrich is a writer, church consultant and Episcopal priest based in New York. He is the author of “Just Wondering, Jesus,” and the founder of the Church Wellness Project, http://www.churchwellness.com. His Web site is www.morningwalkmedia.com.)