View from the Vicarage Climate Change The long awaited climate conference takes place in Glasgow this month. Will it be the ground breaking conference that the organisers are hoping for? Will it be strong enough to conclude agreements with participating countries that might at last turn back the inevitable damage we are inflicting on our climate? As we gently warm up in the West–communities in Africa and Asia have been devastated by rising temperatures and low rainfall. Already some of the key players at the conference are sending their apologies. How can climate change be averted when some of the biggest players and polluters are not present? How do the church and in particular individual Christians respond to the impending crisis? Churches have been encouraged to move towards a zero carbon status. This is quite a challenge for those of us worshipping in listed rural buildings. Christians certainly have a responsibility to care for God’s creation and to be actively involved in turning back unhelpful practices. Jesus lived very close to nature. When asked about his home he reminded his listeners that foxes have holes to live in and birds have nests but yet the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. When someone consumed with worry consulted Jesus, he replied by talking about the flowers of
the field that neither toil nor spin. There’s a natural rhythm in nature that we observe in the seasons and perhaps it is by ignoring those rhythms in nature that has caused the imbalances we are observing. It's so easy to be consumed by the effects of climate change and to ignore even bigger problems that will impact on the message of Jesus on our communities. God saw from the beginning of time that we as human beings had a problem that could not be solved by simply holding a conference and producing a few agreements. God stepped in to solve the problem by sending his son Jesus into the world to show us a better way that solved our problem of sin and selfishness. This gives us a more hopeful outlook on our current world as we prioritise issues such as peace, equity of food provision and slowing the pace of climate change. While we live in a world of many faiths we as Christians can be a prophetic voice that shifts the discussion from one of doom and gloom to one that speaks of the inherent value of the created world and the need for humanity to care for it. Its a story that is realistic about human selfishness and brokenness and yet is hopeful of redemption; one that speaks up for the poor and vulnerable and challenges self interest wherever it is found. J A Rennie
The Dever–November 2021 5
