Reprinted from January 2022

Question:  It seems everywhere I go today, on sidewalks and in parking lots, people have dropped masks and cigarette butts. Most of the time, trash barrels are only a few feet away. I try not to be a fuddy duddy, but this really gets to me because it appears those who are too lazy to properly dispose of these items have decided that their carelessness doesn’t matter.

I grew up with my parents saying, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” I wasn’t certain where this saying came from, so I researched and found that John Wesley, the co-founder of Methodism, may have been the originator of the slogan “cleanliness is next to godliness.” In 1791, he referenced the phrase in one of his sermons as we use it today. Wesley wrote, “Slovenliness is no part of religion. Cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness.”

Please say something about folks picking up after themselves. Some people even throw trash from fast food restaurants out their car windows.

~ Annoyed

Dear Annoyed,

I am right there with you in your disgust of people not disposing of trash properly. It seems that some people think they have a right to do what they want and nobody is going to keep them from that right. Some people get fined for littering but they have to be caught first.

For the first time since I have been writing in this space, I don’t think I have an answer! I had a friend who once said he believed in the death penalty for double parking but he was kidding … I think! Sometimes I have to admit that I do wish there were stronger fines for littering but, even if there were, some folks would still think the world is their litter box. The problem may lie in some people’s conception of “rugged individualism.” That way of thinking makes some people think that nature is endless and man deserves to do what he wants with nature! So right now we have a polluted planet, global warming and people with no sense of community responsibility. And people who think that they can do whatever they want, regardless of the cost to the rest of us.

Hey, I did have something to say! It may not be helpful, but I do hope it is food for thought.   

 The Rev. C. L. “Skip” Lindeman
lindemanskip@yahoo.com

Dear Annoyed,

Thank you for your wonderfully accurate research regarding the John Wesley quote. To take it a bit deeper, the idea of “spiritual” cleanliness is mentioned in the Bible in Isaiah 1:16-17: “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean … cease to do evil, learn to do good.”

Washing and cleansing rituals are mentioned throughout the early chapters of the Bible and are seen as a way to be more holy and closer to God. When people lack an inner sense of oneness with God, they feel spiritually bankrupt. That feeling of separation from God causes people to not care about themselves. They don’t care about their future, their planet or their fellow beings. In addition, the pandemic has driven our homeless population to astounding numbers while depression, anxiety, gun violence and suicide are at unprecedented levels. People are hurting, hopeless, angry and spiritually empty. The trash is just a symptom of a deeper issue.

What can we do when we are confronted by another’s “slovenliness” or thoughtlessness? We do know that we cannot change any other person and we also know that all true change comes from within ourselves. The antidote for our “annoyance” is to become part of the solution. New Thought author, and founder of Agape Spiritual Center, Dr. Michael Beckwith said, “The cure for depression is service.”

And how do we start? We start right where we are by “cleaning up” our own attitudes about others and by living in compassion and forgiveness. Then we get to take action.

I want to thank you for your letter. It has inspired me to find organizations that are helping to clean up our planet, starting in small neighborhoods and communities like ours. The 4 Ocean organization is pulling tons of plastic out of our oceans (www.4ocean.com) and the Keep America Beautiful organization (www.kab.org) has been studying since 1959 why and how people litter. They reported in 2020 that roadside trash has decreased 54% in the last decade, which is encouraging; however, 50 billion pieces of litter are still on the ground in America. Each American needs to pick up 152 pieces of litter to do their part.

There are so many ways to get involved, one piece of trash at a time. Working together, being love in action, helping others to see that each of us is one with God, gives me hope for all of us.

I’m starting now. Will you join me?

Rev. Karen Mitchell
revkarenmitchell@gmail.com