J840 Communicating Social and Environmental Initiatives

Did you know the whole “What Would Jesus Do?” question originated in Topeka in the 1890’s? I sure didn’t… WWJD had a second coming (pardon the pun) in the 1990’s and turned into a fad. As with the term “green,” it became rather trite and overused and even became a snowclone with spin-offs like, “What Would Jesus Drive?” (an actual environmental campaign back in 2002 that unfortunately didn’t have a huge impact). When approaching the faith-based community regarding green initiatives, WWJD may still have some clout, but it has to go deeper than that.

With both religion and being green, it’s not so much about the talk you talk but the walk you walk. Do you really mean it? Do you try to live green (or by the tenents of your faith) in your own life, even if you’re not perfect? “Living your message” lends a much greater level of authenticity to what you say than words that get lost in so much “religious proselytizing” (whether your religion is an actual religion or something like the environment). As any parent will tell you, the “Do as I say and not as I do” line never works – kids learn by example and do what they see their parents doing.

As Gandhi famously said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” The first step in relaying any message of importance to someone else is to truly believe in what you’re saying, and the best way to prove your belief is by living it in your own life.

-Mindee Forman