OneEarth Jubilee

Living Within Our One Planet’s Capacities
The decision before humankind is whether we live in a way that Earth can accommodate. OneEarth Jubilee offers both vision and practical ideas for how to do just that.
Join OneEarth Jubilee

We work at the intersection of ecology, economics, and spirituality, insisting on the powers of creation amidst commodification of nature, and the powers of being truly human amidst dehumanization.

Ecological Clock

To remain under 1.5°C warming, the Clock shown above tells us how much time we have left
to make a transition off of fossil fuels and to change other habits contributing to climate disaster.

To learn what you can do, we invite you to read and consider signing our OneEarth Jubilee Covenant.


What is OneEarth Jubilee?

In 2000, a group of us began a nonprofit, 501(c)3, organization, inspired to action after reading the book by Ross and Gloria Kinsler, The Biblical Jubilee and the Struggle for Life. The influence of Latin America has been integral from our start, and today we are focused in three Jubilee Circles—in Chiapas, Mexico; San Mateo (Puebla), Mexico; and San Diego, California.

San Diego to San Cristobal flight

We Invite You to Sign the OneEarth Jubilee Covenant

The covenant practice we’re currently emphasizing: Our Food Choices.

Here’s a link directly to a pdf guide for this practice.

 


Jubilee as Text and Worldview

In the Bible, the word Jubilee occurs only in Leviticus 25. Because of this singular reference, we can easily miss that Jubilee is a large worldview that vies throughout the Bible with another large worldview favored by empires and monarchies. The Jubilee worldview models itself on creation. Living Jubilee means living close to Earth, learning from her, and creating lifestyles that fit within her abundant capacities of enough for all. Jesus lived by this worldview (Luke 4:18-19) and called us out (ekklesia) of the worldview of empires and monarchies, in other words, to follow his way. In OneEarth Jubilee ministries we teach the Jubilee worldview and aspire to the difficult task of shaping lifestyles according to that worldview. Think, feel; and act with us.

What We Do

Our work is primarily three-fold: (1) Education, (2) Reaching out to others to be part of the OneEarth Jubilee movement, and (3) Organizing activities.
The work emanating from our Jubilee Circles is described in a small 64-page book entitled simply, Jubilee Circles: Help Save Life on the Planet. It is available in English and Spanish.

More specifically, our actions include:

  • Empowering women in Mexico so they can generate income
  • Tutoring and teaching children and parents
  • Delivering medical services and healthcare
  • Demystifying laws used to oppress and teaching rights
  • Creating monthly episodes for the Simpler OneEarth Living podcast
  • Write books
  • Give workshops and presentations in congregations and on campuses
  • Organize OneEarth Travel Seminars from the U.S. to Mexico

We see abundance where others see scarcity and austerity. We see promise and vitality in the bounty of living within the limits of what economic activity can be done on One Earth, rather than living as if there were many earths to do our business.

The Manna Jar—Strong Symbol of Creation-Based Economy of Enough

The Manna Jar is a core symbol of Jubilee Economics because it comes from a story when people learned to live creation-based lives instead of empire-based lives (see Exodus 16). The story of manna in the wilderness is not about the miracle of some kind of bread showing up mysteriously every morning— as commonly taught. It is far more radical. It presents conversion from using more than our share to sharing in common. Conversion from thinking that making astute economics decisions to get more money and more power are most important, to economic thinking of enough for all living beings, and living within our planet’s abundance. The manna story puts spiritual Presence at the heart of daily economic practice, which is to say, there is a spiritual energy at work in the universe to provide life for all beings when we live a creation-based economy and paradigm.

So looking at the Manna Jar, how do we answer questions like: How can we survive without industrial agriculture? How can we live apart from the urban environments where resources and power are centered? What does creation-centered living look like? Is it living in perpetual scarcity and austerity? Is there ever abundance? How can we live with enough when the economy aiming for endless growth shapes us for more? Does greed really have to sabotage caring and sharing?

(You can get a Manna Jar for $30 plus shipping.)

Click to read an article by Paul Taylor and Lee Van Ham, “How Much Is Enough? The Living Symbol of the Manna Jar,” published in the May 2020 newsletter of Faith and Money Network, Washington, D.C.

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