Less is More by Millard Fuller, Founder and President of Habitat for Humanity International Urban sprawl is a reality in cities throughout the United States. It is especially bad in Atlanta, right here in Georgia. What causes this phenomenon? A growing population that has an insatiable desire to live in big houses on large plots of land. If the trend is not reversed, soon there will be little open space left. Every person and every family needs a good and decent place to live. But can the earth support an unlimited number of huge houses, occupied by only a few people? I think the answer is obvious. Jesus said that the essence of loving God is loving one's neighbor. Indeed, Jesus said that the standard is to love one's neighbor as much as you love yourself. And that standard applies to basic things like food, clothing, medical care and housing.

Too often, religious principles are rendered irrelevant by spiritualizing them. Some people might say, "Sure, I love my neighbor as I love myself, but that means that I squint my eyes occasionally and think loving thoughts about my needy neighbor. I donate a little money from time to time, but I lavish most of my resources on myself. After all, I worked hard and earned the money, or my hard-working parents or grandparents worked hard and made the family fortune, so I deserve what I have." Such thinking is logical, but does it pass the test of God's word? Does a person have an unbridled right to utilize unlimited portions of the earth's resources for himself or herself just because they have the legal right to do so? Think about these things. Urban sprawl is not only a problem; it is also a religious issue. Greed or God. What is your choice? You are either a part of the problem or a part of the solution. How much do you really love your neighbor in comparison with how much you really love yourself?

"Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." Luke 12:15