The Parable of the Ten Virgins and Natural Resources

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Matthew 25:1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Yesterday with the frigid cold that has hit our area, there were some rolling blackouts, due to

some problems with the power supply for Texas. On the news they showed furious people complaining about no power, which of course was no fun for them, but we are living in times when our demand for so many fossil fuel generated goods, including electricity is being stretched to the limits. One small upset and we are in trouble. We consume like there is no tomorrow. One person interviewed on the television lived in a huge house, older couple, no children, new home but one of those McMansions we see in new developments. It was only the couple living in the house, they stated that. And from what I can figure, they each had about 2,000 sq ft of living space. Probably two bedrooms a piece and a couple bathrooms each. No problem in my view, except thinking about how much each of them was consuming in fossil fuel to heat the home. Electric heat usually has some source of fossil fuel involved in generating it. This over consuming couple is mentioned as an example, that when we over consume, we really need to see what we are doing and have a back up plan for this over spending of the natural resources.

Someone asked me if we had a rolling blackout and I had to think a minute as it would not be very obvious to me if we did. The computer being off would be the most obvious sign for me.
The house was toasty warm, thanks to the wood stove. Our wood comes from two sources, trees cleared from ranchers fence lines that gives a 75 year old man work and from a tree service that sells the wood of trees that had to be removed due to disease. If it were night time, small oil burning lamps would keep our house lit, using a small amount of kerosene. We are prepared. Our simple life has left us in a position where we are not very vulnerable. While the stove heated the house, it served as a stove top for simmering soup. The wood pile gives my husband opportunity to get a work out by chopping and splitting the logs, which in turn keeps him fit and healthy, which in turn keeps him off medications and away from the Doctors office.

In this modern world where resources are being continually stretched, its time for us to consider demands and measure them with reason. Its also time for us to all take the approach of the 5 wise virgins and have a backup plan, be prepared. There may come a time when we drive up to the gas station only to find that the supply can no longer meet the demand. Be prepared and all of us should make a commitment to live within reason concerning natural resources