Lazy Sundays
The Church & Climate Change
Friday night kicked off the liveit! conference with a panel addressing the issue of “The Church & Climate Change”. Mary Colwell, a producer with BBC Natural History, gave a presentation before moving into a comments/Q&A time with the panel, featuring Christine Allen, Mike Edwards, Tom Cullinan and Bishop John Arnold.
Colwell made an excellent point by showing a picture of a British beach flooded with tourists and contrasting it with a view of the ocean marred by pollution, commenting that this is how much we love the ocean – we flock to it in good weather, yet somehow still find it acceptable to use it as a rubbish dump. How did we create such a huge disconnect between those two views?!
She commented on the need to be a people of strong vision, and how we still value and respond to strong leadership from our church communities, using the example of the Dali Lama making a plea for people to stop wearing fur. He simply stated that he would be ashamed of it – and the people listened to him. What would it take for our leaders to regain the amount of trust it takes for people to act simply on their recommendation? Would I change my lifestyle if my pastor told me he was ashamed of it? (I hope so, but I couldn’t say for sure…)
Colwell made good use of video clips, and in one Rowan Williams made an excellent comment… “Religious communities ought to see themselves as trustees of these kinds of questions.” I thought it was a very positive way to look at these issues, which so many portray in a negative manner.
One that note, the standout thought for me from the entire weekend is a comment made by Mike Edwards in a video…
“The message about climate change has almost completely been negative so far. But actually, I think its the most creative time in history, because we have the opportunity to shape our future.”
There were also some excellent thoughts coming out of the panel session, discussing a need to reclaim our wonder, and to embrace not only celebration but depression; our role in salvation in the world and how it wont look like we expect it to; and empowering ourselves to act regardless of leadership (or lack of) from the religious community.
Many more thoughts to follow, it’s been a very intense day-and-a-half.
liveit!
Am in Manchester with Holly until Sunday for the livesimply liveit! conference, addressing how the church responds to issues of social justice. Should be a very interesting weekend!
Everything Must Change
While I was in the US I read Brian McLarens latest book, Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, And A Revolution Of Hope. Last Friday I got to chat with Brian a little bit after the CPW service, so I thought it was time I shared some thoughts from the book.
In Everything Must Change, McLaren addresses global issues of security, justice, and prosperity, and suggests that the way in which we live pulls us into a suicidal system which needs to change. The book addresses a myriad of topics, such as global warming, patriotism, and economic poverty. Personally, I didn’t find this to be a ‘life-changing’ book, but I reckon it would be an excellent introduction for someone who wants to learn more about these issues, and as such I enjoyed it.
Some thoughts…
“Other societies work on what we will call theocapitalist narratives, which mythologize markets and their products with a divine power to bring happiness.”
This one really struck me, as it put words what I’ve felt for a long time now. I’d never heard it called theocapitalist before, and will probably do some research to try find out a bit more about this idea.
“Politically, we produce and sell weapons in unimaginable numbers, and then we tax the profits to build defenses against those to whom we sold the weapons. We build an economy of war in hopes that it will produce for us a world of peace.”
Brian talks a lot about the politics and economics of war in the book, which I don’t feel I can make too much comment on as a non-American, but some of the quotes and statistics he shared were scary. This one seems to sum it up for me – building an economy of war in hopes of peace. It is striking that the top 5 countries in weapons manufacturing are also the same 5 countries who are permanent members of the UN Security Council… ironic?
“It is only when we can imagine the world to be different than the way it is that we can be empowered to embody this alternative reality which is God’s kingdom and resist this present nightmare of brokenness, disorientation and confusion… A liberated imagination is a prerequisite for facing the future… If we cannot have such a liberated imagination and cannot countenance such radical dreams, then the story remains closed for us and we have no hope.”
[Brian Walsh & John Middleton]
“Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness and pride of power and with its plea for the weak. Christians are doing too little to make these points clear rather than too much. Christendom adjusts itself far too easily to the worship of power. Christians should give more offense, shock the world far more, than they are doing now. Christians should take a stronger stand in favour of the weak rather than considering first the possible right of the strong.”
[Dietrich Bonhoeffer]
London
I’ve spent the last few days in London – mostly trying to recover from jetlag – however I did manage to see a few sights and sounds. Went for a nice walk (minus the half hour torrential downpour on Tuesday) along the Thames, down past the London Eye and across to the Parliament buildings. Had coffee at the Covent Garden Progreso, a cafe I wanted to check out. Meandered along Oxford Street & Bond Street at my leisure, taking in the sights and sounds. Stumbled across Foyles unintentionally. Successfully managed to not lose more money to books – major achievement!
Yesterday I headed over to the Tate Modern, followed by another little walk along the Thames, this time up towards Tower Bridge. Felt like I had to go see Buckingham Palace, which in all honesty was rather a let-down (as I had been warned!) – seriously, its just a big house, it’s not that pretty or decorative at all!
In about two hours I’m hoping on a train across to Nottingham to hang out with Shelley for the evening… bring it on! I miss that girl.
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