The tragedy in the Gulf Coast continues to trouble all who believe that God has entrusted nature to us, and we are called to keep it healthy. Obviously no one involved in the tragedy set out to do damage to the earth, but damage is nonetheless being done. At the moment, scientists estimate the oil may continue to leak to some extent until August. A Louisiana fisherman was interviewed on TV. He comes from a long family line that has made its living in those waters. Tearfully he said:  “Our family’s livelihood may have ended with me. I may never be able to fish here again.”  We are all hopeful and prayerful that (a) he will be pleasantly surprised and (b) we will learn from this dreadful event so as to prevent future ones.

A line in an editorial posed an interesting question. It said: “On a purely personal level, the oil spill makes me wonder what is being emitted from my life on a daily basis, and how it influences the environment of the people who live around me.”  In all honesty, I hadn’t gone there in my reaction to the spill. But, perhaps it is not a bad place to go.

We all “emit.”  Something from within us emerges daily in all our relationships at home, at work, in the neighborhood, in the church, and in the world. We are all spilling something out. And whatever that something is has a profound impact on the environment of the people who live around us.

Some people spill out prejudice. Others, hostility. Some spill out greed or insensitivity or judgmentalism or a disregard for the rights and needs of their neighbors. On the other hand, some folks continually offer clean and clear and charitable things to the world, making the pools in which we swim fresh and filled with grace. Some people spill out encouragement. Others, compassion. Some folks are a never-ending source of smiles or comfort. I had a school teacher once who used to tell the class:  “My job is to challenge you to reach higher than you think you can reach. Right now, you may resent me for it. But some day, when you reach those heights, you will know that my gift of challenge was actually a gift of love.”  You get the picture. We offer the essence of ourselves to the world, influencing the environment in which other people live.

Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before others that they will see your good works and give glory to God.”  (Matthew 5:16) In other words, Share your very best with the world around you. Be a source of mercy, courage, helpfulness, generosity, forgiveness, kindness, and faith. Make the waters of life clearer and better because of what you pour into them. We have a choice whether to pollute life for others or to fill life with love. The environment of the people who live around us depends upon the choice we make.