The magazine of Christian Ecology Link Summer 2013 Issue 75 Price £3.50

Send in the Clowns Transition and Hope Imagination and Resistance in Action CONTENTS

Green Christian Published by Christian Ecology Link Contents Editor Chris Walton, Ringsfield EcoCentre, Beccles, Suffolk NR34 8JR Welcome to Green Christian Issue 75 Summer 2013 T: 07881 941296 E: [email protected] FEATURES Editorial Committee Deborah Tomkins, Deidra Munro, Ashley Ralston, Paul Bodenham, Barbara Echlin, 4 Transition and Hope – from head, to Westley Ingram. heart, to hand Book Review Editor Miriam Pepper John Whitehead reminds us that ‘we are the Submissions prophetic presence of the living risen Jesus Christ’ Contributions should ideally be made by e-mail as attached files. Alternatively P14 clear typescript is acceptable when 6 Not Screechers but Believers negotiated with the editor. Accompanying Edward Echlin and Ruth Jarman reply to Sam photos and drawings are encouraged. An Norton early phone call to the editor to indicate an intention to write is very helpful. 8 The Stream of Life rolls on Editorial Policy Green Christian is intended as a forum Reflections on CEL’s annual conference 2013 for Christians of all traditions to reflect P19 on, and contribute to, current thinking 9 Democracy needs Prophets too and action in the Green Movement. The opinions expressed by guest authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the 10 Cosmic Justice editors but are welcome for their Mark Bredin insists that social justice without sincerity and insight. Items mailed with Green Christian reflect the views of their ecological justice is no justice at all authors or publishers and not necessarily those of Christian Ecology Link. 13 - 16 Centre pullout A Storm of Hope Paper Stock call to Non Violent Direct Action This issue of Green Christian is printed Cover: This image of the clown was given to me by a young Christian artist on Revive 100 Silk, paper made from back in the 1980s when as minister of The Church of the Redeemer (a radical 100% recycled de-inked post consumer Baptist Church in Birmingham) I declared that in order to preach the gospel waste silk paper. It is fully biodegradable. and live as a disciple we need to become clowns. I was just 30 something Further details from the editor. then. Now 35 years later, I believe it all the more passionately (for Send in the Clowns, see p.20). P1 Magazine Distribution REGULARS Duncan Miller, 4 Over Mill Drive, Birmingham, B29 7JL 3 EDITORIAL 19 LOCAL GROUPS Design [email protected] Send in the Clowns Isobel Murdoch sees the shades and the shadows Printed by 12 FINDING THE STILL POINT EAM Printers, 11 The Sterling Complex, Ross Ashley continues her 21 RESOURCE REVIEWS Farthing Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP11 5AP series on directions MAIL BAG Next Issue 26 Copy Deadline 31 August 2013 17 CEL NEWS Publication date November 2013 27 PRAYERSCRIPT Paul Bodenham

Chairman Press office and If you do not wish to be Paul Bodenham, Corner requests for speakers included, please notify the Cottage, Main Street, Jo Abbess, CEL Information Membership Secretary. Langar, Nottingham Officer, 10 Beech Hall Road, NG13 9HE London E4 9NX. Basis of Faith T: 01949 861516 T: 0845 459 8460 We affirm our belief in God E: paul@christian- E: info@christian- as Creator of all things and www.greenchristian.org.uk ecology.org.uk ecology.org.uk in Jesus Christ as Lord, looking to the Holy Spirit Christian Ecology Link (CEL) Treasurer Resource Materials for guidance through the is an interdenominational Eleanor Orr, 35 Kitto Road, Jill Vogler, 40 The Avenue, Scriptures, and seeking to UK Christian organisation London SE14 5TW. Roundhay, Leeds, West hear Him in the challenges for people concerned about T: 020 7732 6550 Yorkshire LS8 1JG of the present time. the environment. It offers E:eleanoro@howzatt. insights into ecology and demon.co.uk Privacy Patrons the environment to Members have occasionally Rt Rev James Jones, Christian people and Membership Secretary asked for the addresses of Fr Sean McDonagh, Churches and offers Richard and Nicky Kierton, other members who live Sir Jonathon Porritt, Christian insights to the Flat 1, 31 St James Terrace, near them, and we have Prof Sir Ghillean Prance, Green Movement. Buxton SK17 6HS sent out a county list. Dr Elaine Storkey

2 Green Christian – Issue 75 – Summer 2013 EDITORIAL Send in the Clowns

Prophets and Clowns – imagination and resistance in action Chris Walton and Ross Ashley introduce the clown

Why the image of a clown? Understanding the contemporary context Hope and offering that up to the story of the Send in the Clowns* Have this mind among yourselves, Bible produced a powerful hermeneutic, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who which opened up space for members of CEL member, Ross Ashley articulates the though he was in the form of God, did my Churches to imagine-against-the- Storm of Hope as wild foolishness. As it not count equality with God a thing to stream. My preaching did not provide a sees and grieves hope acts as though be grasped but emptied himself, taking restful, inner sense of peace, a way of stories can be changed, and it is we who the form of a servant, being born in the moving closer to God’s ‘still waters’ must change them. It is the living out of likeness of humans. And being found in (Psalm 23:2), despite what is going on in what one envisages as though the story human form he humbled himself and the world but rather, an honest has changed, believing it can change. became obedient unto death, even assessment of a situation and the poetry Hope will believe in a determined, death on a cross. to inspire ‘a shared willingness to imaginative way, and can work as a Philippians 2.5-8 engage in gestures of resistance and powerful, peaceful underground – a acts of deep hope’. resistance. This will mean action – This is the role of the clown: not the fighting for change, exposing the areas circus clown, more the court jester. Grieve where fear rules quietly, and perhaps Not the slapstick artist, more the fool on Where are the clowns?* most importantly working on the edge, the edge of things, willing to be clown being prepared to be judged a fool, enough to seek the kingdom of God Prophetic consciousness knows that making sacrifices, making noises, without any expectation of any reward or there is no newness without grief. The insisting on being heard, regardless of blessing. appalling plight of the suffering earth, whether it is seen to win or be proved the statistics of death and destruction of right. Jesus was made into a clown. The all species can only bring us on our prophet is a clown. You make yourself knees with grief. Acknowledgement of Send in the Clowns nobody, empty yourself, to be filled by our own weaknesses and failures Don’t bother, they’re here!* the earth’s agenda. We are a community comprehensively results in tears. If we of prophets and clowns, anonymous but never shed a tear, it’s like saying there’s This issue indicates that the CEL not defeated; in the minority but not nothing wrong; we are in denial. community’s prophets and clowns are hopeless; easily ridiculed but not ‘Weeping is a theologically-grounded act out and about. It does not mean destroyed; resilient but not dogmatic; of resistance’. acceptance, the world does not open-minded as a community but not immediately welcome us as we stagger giving up easily. Prophets and clowns belatedly into the arena. Some will ask are willing to be vulnerable, laying Act where we’ve been all this time, some themselves open by acting as servants There ought to be clowns* castigate us for our ‘politics’. Others will in a world which despises weakness, cling to their private God, others stare lack of ambition and difference. Jesus demanded not only that we love and laugh at our servanthood, others our friends but our enemies too; not only simply ignore us. In the Summer of 2008 Paul Bodenham, that we preach and pray, but that we Chair of CEL (see GC65) invited us to feed the hungry, visit those in prison, engage the heart in our eco-praxis. His clothe the naked, care for the whole ‘Liberation Cycle’ has sustained us over earth community. It is in our actions the years – See, grieve, hope, act. We offering the poor hospitality, resisting the take another look at this cycle of tide of injustice and poverty which the intentional vulnerability for clowns and powers that rule the earth use to destroy prophets. the earth itself that we learn what it really means to be clowns (fools) for See Christ’s sake. Only then will the bruised Where are the clowns?* and bleeding community of Christ pour out fresh healing and hope in an age of Photo: Brian Homer Many years ago in my early years in devastating despair. pastoral ministry I developed the We’ll just continue on the journey of process of working from experience to becoming ordinary clowns, like Jesus, in the Bible, rather than the other way extraordinary times. n round. * see p.20

www.greenchristian.org.uk 3 FEATURE Transition and Hope - from Head, to Heart, to Hand

John Whitehead reminds us that ‘we are the prophetic presence of the living and risen Jesus Christ’

Introduction incarnate as “being with”, that is, as the The Transition movement’s experience of having entered into The purpose of this article on Transition evangelical purpose is to move from mutually-affirming relationships with is to set this world’s present day global dependence to local resilience. others who share my life-place.’ Thus challenges in the context of a global ‘biotic’ refers to the integrated covenant theology. It argues that functioning of all that lives and moves Transition Towns, a secular movement Since its inception in 2005, inspired by and has being, inclusive of people as connecting Head, to Heart, to Hand, the young permaculture designer Rob well as environment. The earth on has a theological dimension which Hopkins at Kinsale, Ireland, it has which all living depends is enfolded in makes more incisive and inclusive a mushroomed into some 400 community the ‘biotic community’, and is the place belief in God’s Covenant with the whole groups, including ventures in the USA where Kingdom and Transition are to ‘biotic’ community – a concern which is and South America. Hugh Fearnley- happen. The process ‘from head, to noticeably muted in Church debates. Whittingstall writes: ‘My first experience heart, to hand’ expresses ‘biotic The underpinning theological ‘given’ is of Transition came in 2008, when I community’ in practice. Ellen Davis in the ever-urgent call for Christians to travelled to Totnes to film a sequence Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture: an proclaim the Gospel ‘to the ends of the about Garden Share, a project that Agrarian Reading of the Bible (2009) earth’, in the conviction that the matched people who wanted to grow portrays the divine covenant as a moral Kingdom proclaimed and the Covenant food but had nowhere to do it with economy. Referring to the Old enacted by Jesus means this-worldly people who had unused or underused Testament Holiness Code she explains transformation, ‘on earth as in heaven’. gardens around the town. It was a that ‘its point of orientation is the web brilliantly simple initiative, and above all of relationships uniting the various New Initiatives a practical one that was getting a great members of the land community: earth response’ – The Transition Companion, animals and humans’ (p.90). The Today’s mindset is increasingly Hopkins (2011 p.12 ). There is a clear implication of the story of Naboth’s contoured by media pressures, global resonance here with the ministry of vineyard is that ‘A healthy economy is commerce and centralised government. Jesus in the Gospels, where he part of an authentic local culture’. She Yet it is also evident that pressing preached and healed within local provides a contemporary illustration global issues have led to movements situations, yet also at the same time he from Cedar Grove, a small community like Transition Towns and the Low reached out beyond family and friends in North Carolina. Grieved by rifts in the Carbon Communities Network, which –‘to the one who asks from you, give...’ community: aim to reverse the damage caused by (Luke 6, 30). Thus motivated, there exploiting the global at the expense of appeared communities of solidarity and ‘A lifelong member of the community, the local. In Rural Theology 68 Vol. 5 mutual caring in the early church (Acts a woman whose grandfather had Part 1 (2007) Edward Echlin notes that 2, 43,44). been born into slavery, offered five ‘Distant (and eroding) fields that grow acres of land to Cedar Grove United food for our supermarkets, and the The parallel between Christianity and Methodist for the purpose of planting sprawling estates built on fertile soil, Transition can be discerned in the word a community vegetable garden. Now are no substitute for the security of ‘biotic’ – a term brought to the writer’s Asians, Mexicans, Hondurans, African carefully nurtured and familial attention by an American correspondent and European Americans, Christians bioregional hinterlands’ (p.4). Following Daniel Deffenbaugh. In Learning the and non-Christians, poor and the recent head-lined exposure of Language of the Fields: Tilling and relatively rich, work that land unidentified horse meat in beef burgers, Keeping as a Christian Vocation (2006), together, and have weekly dinners on many are asking, what precisely is in Deffenbaugh argues: ‘Christ is neither the ground. The older farmers their packaged food, and where does it cosmic nor particular but a mediation contribute their local knowledge and originate? – in ‘distant fields’ (and of the two: Christ is a biotic community their manure – things that no one had processing) certainly! in which meaningful being becomes seemed to value before. The food

4 Green Christian – Issue 75 – Summer 2013 FEATURE

goes to those who need it most ... A allied to Christ’s mission on earth as complexity of the issues, have driving community that a few years ago was portrayed in the Gospels, enunciates a convictions, and they are attuned to the riven by fear is now growing in trust deep-rooted sense of divine providence. realities of the environmental situation and joy’ (p.118). This still underpins particularly the both globally and locally. They mindset of those who have grown up in demonstrate a sensitive and caring The Church Dimension the countryside. The writer remembers listening to ‘the other’, be that human a farmer in the parish whom he knew or natural, which those of faith would Here Rob Hopkins makes a point on the school governors committee – see as spiritual qualities. Many strongly felt by many: ‘It seems clear not a person who attended Church – thoughtful Christians are among them, that a great deal of damage and saying after a difficult summer: ‘you as an identifying of the personnel wounding has gone on in the world in know, vicar, seedtime and harvest shall involved in the current Food Banks in the name of organised religions, and of not fail’. Through imaginative projects, urban centres will reveal. spirituality in general, and so some this traditional sense of provision and people are very wary indeed about the redeeming can meld with the altruistic, The word covenant, voiced by political whole issue’, though he goes on to say community-orientated purposes seen in leaders striving for a Climate Change ‘it is perhaps necessary that no one in Transition projects and Low Carbon consensus between nation states, any sense “pushes” his or her spiritual Communities. implies a theology of hope, which approach, but, equally, this whole area indicates that this world’s relationship of human experience is not unwelcome.’ Believing and Behaving Hopefully with God will in the end not be (op.cit. p.141). So there is an sundered by any catastrophe, human or opportunity here if members of Transition initiatives are succeeding natural. Yes, as prophets have always Churches can set light to ‘”the Church” because of their underlying ethic of warned, There will be Blood – title of as structure, ministers, orientation’ ... collaboration, persons in relationship, the recent film in which Daniel Day- and remember that ‘we are the which enables the local outworking of Lewis stars as the American oil prophetic presence of the living and carbon footprint reduction to take off. developer confronted by the local risen Jesus Christ’ Echlin (2010 p.106). What the Transition movement preacher – but the blood of God’s promotes is a wellbeing that lies in a cosmic Covenant, celebrated at every Transition in Practice vibrancy of place, and of life-styles and Lord’s Supper, leads from death to life. methods of local economy which both Theologically-speaking the Transition Ashton Hayes, a village of 1,000 people respect the actual environment, and movement shows that in some form near Chester, where action was started also epitomise the action which is ‘Kingdom come’ really is hope in these by the Low Carbon Communities required on a global scale. From this uncertain times. n Network, gave this information on its perspective, supra-local and supra- webpage: national agencies have a role as Bibliography Astley, J. 2007. Christ of the Everyday. London: Society enablers, not as exploiters. for Promoting Christian Knowledge. The pub has been the meeting place Bauckham, R. 2006. Jesus and the Eyewitnesses. Cambridge: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. for many of our The Transition Berry, R. J. Ed. 2000. The Care of Creation. Leicester: team meetings Yes, prophets have always warned, movement Inter-Varsity Press. and in recent “There will be Blood”… but the blood demonstrates a Berry, R. J. 2003. God’s Book of Works. London: T & T Clark. years all the of God’s cosmic Covenant leads from theological vision in Davis, E. 2009. Scripture, Culture and Agriculture. landlords have death to life another sense: its Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Deffenbaugh, D.G. 2006. Learning the Language of the been very character is shaped Fields. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Cowley Publications. supportive of the project and are by its future vision. The world of the Echlin, E. ‘Jesus and Hinterland’. Rural Theology 5.1. 2007. 3-12 keen to welcome visitors. Initially the 21st century, according to many Echlin, E. 2010. Climate and Christ: A Prophetic brainchild of local resident Garry respected observers, has reached a Alternative. Dublin: The Columba Press. Charnock, the project was adopted by critical juncture, where ‘business as Hopkins, R. 2011. The Transition Companion. Totnes, Devon: Green Books. the Parish Council in November 2005, usual’ could end in the partial Marsh, C. 2006. Christ in Practice. London: Darton, and officially launched at a public destruction of civilisation in many Longman & Todd Ltd. meeting held in Ashton Hayes Primary places – and where 2030 will be the School on 26th January 2006. The ‘Age of Stupid’, a catastrophic John Whitehead is a freelance retired launch meeting was a huge success, judgement on short-term self-seeking, parish priest around South Cheshire; attended by 400 people. Awareness- because the warning signs were formerly vicar of Betley and Keele. In raising with residents has cut the resisted. Of course the Transition the 1990s he chaired the Rural carbon footprint of the village’s programme cannot be equated directly Theology Association and edited Rural households by 20% in 12 months. with the inauguration of the Kingdom. It Theology; he was joint editor of Tree planting is helping to offset has a this-worldly focus without a Seasonal Worship from the remaining emissions. transcendental salvation. However, Countryside (SPCK, 2003). He is [email protected] more and more people caught up in the currently secretary of Christian Rural Transition movement realise that Concern which jointly developed the From a theological perspective, the material welfare alone ‘is not it’ – as the Christian Rural and Environmental underlying narrative of the Hebraic Alpha Course poster puts it. Such Studies course (CRES) with the John Covenant with the whole creation, when people, while not ignoring the Ray Initiative.

www.greenchristian.org.uk 5 FEATURE

Editor’s Note Not Screechers but In the last issue of Green Christian (GC74) I made a controversial decision to include the article, Of Wheat and Tares (and Catastrophic Believers Anthropogenic Global Warming Sceptics) by Sam Norton (p.10). I decided that our Editorial policy Edward Echlin replies to Sam Norton covered the article, that is: ‘The opinions expressed by guest authors n the pages of Green Christian do not necessarily reflect the views Sam Norton plants his new of the editors but are welcome for Obanner as an anthropogenic their sincerity and insight’. climate change sceptic.1 He now I asked for response and here it is. distances himself from fellow green Christians who accept scientific global warming consensus. The Green plea A NEW SPEAK CAMPAIGN for urgent mitigating of damaging Seeding Change emissions he describes as ‘the climate screech’2. Norton compares warnings of ‘ecological catastrophe’ to ‘the eschatological prophecies of the Edward gardening with Barbara his wife hellfire preacher’. Meanwhile, Tim (Secretary of CEL) Flannery – eminent Australian zoologist and Chief Commissioner of the too indifferent to lead a more Australian Climate Change Commission sustainable lifestyle’3. – warns, ‘Now more than ever we are SPEAK call for justice in the global in a race against time to avoid a Since erratic weather is a symptom of food system catastrophic outcome.’ looming climate change, we may It's been germinating beneath the already experience nemesis, as for ground for several years, and now Norton generously invites other green example, in biodiversity loss and it's finally here, launching at Christians, whether sceptics or burning forests in Tim Flannery’s Soundcheck 2013 – a SPEAK believers, to join him. The green Australia, and in UK floods and campaign focusing on the injustices movement, he rightly argues, is an droughts with their attendant human of agribusiness. inclusive community. Norton’s own and other animal suffering. While we rather complacent position seems to be share Norton’s hope we recall that his Food and drink are profoundly that we should leave things to God who prophet Jeremiah also warns of human. Yet our global food system ‘will sort things out’ in the future. While nemesis following idolatrous hubris: ‘A is broken; as we see through land critical of fundamentalist preachers, he voice on the bare heights is heard, the grabs, biofuels, food waste, quotes a passage from the exilic weeping and pleading of Israel’s sons, overconsumption of meat and dairy, prophet Jeremiah, written for a very because they have perverted their way, supermarket power, farmers different, and ancient near-Eastern, they have forgotten the Lord their God’ squeezed, banks betting on food, context than today’s Osborne-fed (Jeremiah 3.21; cf. Deuteronomy monopolisation of the seed markets, growth path to climatic nemesis: ‘“For I 11.16). The Bible also abounds with over-reliance on heavy fertilisers and know the plans I have for you,” declares hope, pre-eminently in the life, teaching pesticides that ravage the the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not and reconciling death and resurrection Earth…not to mention global hunger. to harm you, plans to give you hope of Jesus, who as our very name Therefore we're doing something and a future”’ (Jeremiah 29.11). Norton Christian Ecology Link testifies, is Lord about it! Focusing on LAND (which argues that God will in the future bring of all CEL supporters. Our hope in the the Old Testament prophets often good even out of climate change. Here kingdom includes reformed climate focused upon) and SEEDS (which I cannot fully share Norton’s change sceptics and even sinners like Jesus used as pictures of life and complacency. For the kingdom in which myself. But I must insist that we remain power), we want to see an end to we hope is mystery. A consistent theme humbly apophatic, reticent about land grabs and farming done in a in the Jewish Scriptures, Jesus’ describing that ‘new heaven and new more sustainable way. Essentially, Scriptures, is that human hubris brings earth’ in which we hope. we believe that: nemesis. Today’s pervasive hubris is described, in what Norton might Norton, dismissing warnings of All food should be grown and shared describe as a climate screech, by CEL’s possible catastrophe as ‘the climate as though people and planet patron Jonathon Porritt, ‘the sad truth is screech’, cites Matthew’s Jesus’ mattered. n that a disturbingly large percentage of parable of the wheat and tares, saying UK consumers are either too lazy or God ‘will sort things out’ in the end. http://www.speak.org.uk/

6 Green Christian – Issue 75 – Summer 2013 FEATURE

Unlike the earlier Mark’s parable of sowing, growth and harvesting, Matthew abounds with allegory, a I’m Screeching - Wheat and method later associated with the early Christian exegete Origen. Matthew’s Tares was irresponsible and dangerous golden wheat includes an enemy, weeds/tares, servant workers, and the selection and burning at harvest of the Ruth Jarman explains how nearly she came to weeds/tares (hopefully for the winter warmth of the harvesters!) (Matthew resigning from CEL 13.24-30). Nor do we, as Norton charges, prematurely exclude sceptic tares. Rather we warn and hope, and pray as did climate scientist James hen I read Sam Norton’s article Hansen at Barack Obama’s recent in GC74 my first reaction was inauguration: ‘We have a dream – that Wnot to pen this reply. It was to our President will understand the resign immediately from the board of intergenerational injustice of human CEL and have nothing more to do with made climate change – that he will an organisation that prints such recognise our duties to be caretakers dangerous twaddle. I guess I was of creation, of the land, of the life on experiencing what Sam Norton refers our planet – and that he will give this to as a Climate Screech. matter the priority that our young people deserve.’ It’s a free world. People are entitled to think what they like about climate Norton compares ‘deep greens’ to change, to pick the bits of the science that they want to believe and merge ancient Donatists. Donatism was a Ruth. Is she busking or waiting for the them with their favourite lies from the purist movement in North Africa which doors to open? excluded fellow Christians who were in climate denial portfolio. We may all do communion with ministers whose this to a certain extent – to make life The science is clear. The remedy is orders could be traced back to liveable. What I object to is that a lot also clear. And why are we not ‘traditores’ or traitors – those who of what Sam said came across as fact, implementing the remedy? One big handed over the Scriptures to be not, as I think was meant, as reason is that too many people doubt burned in the time of Emperor something he personally believes in the the science. The natural inclination of Diocletian (died c. 311). The North light of his theology. us humans is to grab and nurture African Augustine rejected Donatist anything that casts doubt on the ‘holier than thou’ purism. An ecumenical Thus a CEL publication, which science – we simply don’t want to conference in 411 rejected their ‘holier usually so eloquently showers truth believe it. In 1969, a cigarette than thouism’ and they finally and light on the world, was used to executive observed, ‘Doubt is our disappeared in the eighth century North criticise the IPCC and UEA, both of product, since it is the best means of African persecutions. I am unaware of which have been exonerated, and competing with the 'body of fact' that fellow green Christians excluding from generally to shed doubt on the exists in the minds of the general the Christian green movement climate science of climate change. This is public. It is also the means of change sceptics. We welcome them in absolutely against our aim as an establishing a controversy.’ Every love and hope. In my own experience, organisation, “to offer insights into article, speech, TV programme that Christian anthropogenic climate change ecology”. allows people to doubt that things sceptics, even jet-travel-addicted really are as bad as the science is ministers of religion, one by one, and Whether Wheat and Tares is telling us negates many-fold the work sometimes two, come aboard heeding irresponsible and dangerous depends of organisations such as CEL and all the wisdom, learning and urgency of on what the problem is. If the problem our hard-working and hard-praying good scientists. How could they or we is the early on-set of deafness due to members. Instead, every moment, do other than respond with gratitude too much climate screeching, or the effort, article, chat must be and love to the scientifically informed lining of highways with crucified climate commandeered to help people accept pleas of the charismatic Ruth Jarman, deniers, I would probably think the and act on what the science is telling who shines like a red star next? n article justified. Our actual problem, us. however, is that the Earth is heading References. inexorably towards a climate regime I did not resign from the board of 1. ‘Of wheat and tares (and Catastrophic that will not support much of life, CEL, partly because this is where my Anthropogenic Global Warming Sceptics)’, Green Christian, November, 2012, pp.10-11. particularly what we see as the best most treasured friends are, and partly 2. ‘As Australia burns, attitudes are changing. But is it bits, and on what our civilisation so I can ensure that there is better too late?’ Guardian, 12 January 2013, p.34. depends (literate cockroaches will be 3. Porritt, J. January 2013, Green Futures, p.48. scientific scrutiny of future unperturbed by the item, I expect). publications. n

www.greenchristian.org.uk 7 REPORT The Stream of Life rolls on

CEL members reflect on their annual conference 2013

his was an inspirational and deeply Green Christians can be a rather left- refreshing day – and I wasn’t brained lot. We’re quite good at Texpecting it! I had arrived tired and critiques of government policy or preoccupied with work and home, and corporate greed, and try to get a although I was expecting to gain handle on big numbers and a bit of inspiration and knowledge and perhaps science. That’s all important, but CEL’s materials to take home with me, I did conference on 16 March was a not anticipate that I would feel less reminder that it’s only the half of it. tired at the end of the day than at the beginning. The reason was the theme 80 members gathered in Leeds for a and the teaching. morning with Philip Roderick, Anglican priest and spiritual entrepreneur. Philip I was reminded once again that God has founded several nationwide is much more intimately concerned networks – the Quiet Garden Trust, with His creation than we are – so Contemplative Fire, Hidden Houses of often it seems that we must come up Prayer – all of which in their different with the answers, that we must save ways awaken in people an awareness the planet by our own efforts, and we of connections between themselves, forget that God has all the answers, God and the world about them which and that He has been giving them to Philip Roderick plays the hang had previously passed them by. In His people from time immemorial, if we nearly two hours of shared experience only take time to listen to Him. he brought the left-brain in from the cold, with music, gentle percussion, And interspersed with this wise the passionate ecotheology of the early teaching from Philip Roderick was desert writers Isaac of Nineveh and some worship and new ways – new to Isaac of Syria, and prayer involving many of us, although very old – of body and mind. praying, ‘body prayer’, together with wonderful meditative music brought It required a bit of unbuttoning of forth by Philip from the hang drum. British reserve, but the effect was empowering and invigorating. The Somehow I was able to ground afternoon workshops caught the myself again in the Holy Spirit, to let momentum and helped us channel it go of some of the anxiety and panic for the sake of the world around us. that fills me when I think of the Now I for one feel there is more of me desperate state of much of our world. praying and working for life on earth, Philip reminded us that although we and more love in that prayer and work, can think of many many good than I knew was possible before. environmental actions to take, we need to be able to listen to God and follow Paul Bodenham our own particular calling, the calling that God has given us. The Quiet Garden Movement Quiet Gardens and Quiet spaces The day followed on with inspirational A simply ministry of Hospitality and workshops – and, because of my Philip leads a body prayer Prayer grounding in the morning, I did not feel exhausted and weary about taking on Philip Roderick founded the Quiet yet more commitments, but rather Garden Trust twenty years ago. positive and energised. Things that CEL and the QGT willingly partner one have seemed so difficult hitherto may another. Some CEL members host not be as difficult as I fear – God is on Quiet Gardens and CEL can help our side, after all. further the ecological message. Further details from Deborah Tomkins www.quietgarden.org

8 Green Christian – Issue 75 – Summer 2013 REPORT Democracy needs prophets too

Paul Bodenham reports on CEL’s involvement with the Foundation for Democracy and Sustainable Development

inston Churchill famously called met at St Mary’s Church in Euston in Respect for human dignity is part of democracy the worst form of November for a workshop led by Halina our reverence for creation as a whole; Wgovernment ‘apart from all the Ward and Gabriela Flores from FDSD. neither is complete without the other. others’ – and many environmentalists Now they and numerous founder The heyday of the Hebrew prophets would agree. Now it could redeem signatories have launched the Manifesto was an age of monarchy, but itself, thanks to a manifesto for as part of the ‘Democracy and democracy needs its prophets too – democracy and sustainability which CEL Sustainability Platform’ (see box). people who glimpse the full stature of helped to shape. It’s an initiative which citizenship and dare to stretch to it, puts a renewal of democracy at the But what has it got to do with free from compromise and self-interest, heart of the green movement, and also Christianity? Historically the Church has and calling others to the same challenges the Churches to do the not exactly been a beacon of liberation. same in their witness for creation. democracy. Without in any way intending it, the Manifesto offers As Halina Ward, the manifesto’s Democracy hasn’t always been the Christians an ‘implicit theology’ which facilitator-in-chief, puts it: ‘This isn’t a green activist’s best friend. Haven’t you will help Churches make new single-issue campaign. It’s a way of occasionally caught yourself toying with connections between faith, society and seeing the world and our place within it. dreams of a benign green dictatorship the environment – from grassroots It’s a call to create the change that’s that would sort it all out? Attractive community activism, through needed, together.’ Its vision will not be isn’t it? You understand, I hope, that it engagement in national affairs, to easily realised, but with this manifesto would need to be me in charge. international development. It lays to before us, no longer can it be said that rest the tired dualistic notion of it cannot be done. n Of course there is no such thing as a stewardship, in which creation is sustainable dictatorship. The regarded as an object distinct from Imagine a world in where democracy unpalatable truth is that democratically humanity to be managed and drives the economy, not the other elected governments do little better, manipulated. It offers instead a vision way around. Imagine a world where wedded as they are to economic of people reconciled with each other sustainability is at the heart of what growth, dirty fuel and globalisation, and through nature, and with nature through governments do, from the local to craven in their homage to the market. each other. the global levels. Where gross They press ever more growth out of our inequality between people and across exhausted, debt-ridden economy and Too often environmental campaigns countries is consigned to the past. degraded planet, in pursuit of the incite people to make enemies. The Imagine a world where elected wealth people say they want. culture of blame may be good for the representatives are mandated to take anxious ego, but its effect on society account of future generations, not So we have to find a way to make and the soul is corrosive. In the just people who elect them today. democracy deliver sustainability. That sustainable democracy which the And imagine a world where we, the is what the Foundation for Democracy Manifesto maps out there is no room people, insist that they do so. and Sustainable Development (FDSD) for projected blame. To be a citizen is Imagine a world where, all our lives, sets out to do. Last year they to love, and through love we become the spaces in which we learn and consulted on a draft ‘Manifesto for partners in the reign of God, that all- grow teach us that when our basic sustainable development’ with groups in inclusive network of power which, as it needs are met, we should value who 25 countries. CEL had the privilege of dawned on Jesus, is ‘in our midst’. we are and who we could be, and not being one of these, when 30 members what we can get. Imagine a world where the only The six principles of the Manifesto for Democracy and Sustainability: vested interests are ours, the people, 1. Sustainability needs flourishing democracy in all our extraordinary diversity. 2. Take the long view Where people have time to 3. Sustainability must be a central goal of governments everywhere participate in decisions on issues that 4. Education must link citizenship and sustainability affect them; to reflect on their pluses 5. Knowledge must be inclusive and minuses, knowing that their views 6. Nothing about us without us. and their first-hand experience will count. For the full text, and to join the Democracy and Sustainability Platform visit: www.democracyandsustainability.org. Make a pledge to try out at least one of Halina Ward, Director, Foundation for the action areas in the Manifesto for Democracy and Sustainability. Share Democracy and Sustainable what you learn with CEL. Development http://www.fdsd.org

www.greenchristian.org.uk 9 FEATURE Cosmic Justice Mark Bredin insists that social justice without ecological justice is no justice at all

ociety makes it easy for us to based on the arguments put forward by The visions we have for the future take for granted the earth’s ecologists, important as they are, but define our lifestyle choices. It is not Sresources and to exploit them to also on God’s future saving intentions accidental that the Bible ends with a satisfy our every whim. Pause for a for creation that the Bible reveals. We vision of a city garden in Revelation moment and consider the madness of do well to recall the words of the 21–22 where God’s just reign benefits an economic system that makes it so psalmist: all. If we ignore the cosmic-centred easy for people to choose to buy visions such as we read above we will plastic bottled water when they have … you save humans and animals err in discerning God’s will and expensively purified water running on alike, O LORD. (Psalm 36.6)3 misinterpret Jesus’ teaching. In order to tap; further, a system that makes it establish God’s reign we must practise second nature to flush 30% of that Visions of Hope cosmic justice and not just social expensively treated drinking water down To understand what kind of future Jesus justice. These cosmic visions were the loo while one in ten people in the had in mind for creation we must inspirational to Jesus as he retired to world suffer or are dying for lack of consider the Old Testament. Certain the wilderness to contemplate God and clean water. I think it’s safe to say that texts within the Old Testament were his creation. the market instils careless and clearly influential on his vision of predatory attitudes towards the earth’s creation, the future of creation and what Jesus was also familiar with tradition resources in us, leading us to care little hinders the fulfilment of this future. teaching that human disobedience to for the poorest on earth or for the Isaiah provides the following glimpse: God results in the desolation of all earth itself. creation: … I will make a way in the I would like to offer some reflections wilderness and rivers in the desert. How long will the land mourn, and on the Bible’s teachings about the The wild animals will honour me, the the grass of every field wither? For relationship between social justice and jackals and the ostriches; for I give the wickedness of those who live in it ecological justice. My own position is water in the wilderness, rivers in the the animals and the birds are swept summed up well by eco-theologian desert, to give drink to my chosen away, and because people said, ‘He Edward Echlin: ‘Social justice without people. (Isaiah 43.19-20) is blind to our ways.’ (Jeremiah 12.4; ecological justice is injustice which compare Romans 8.18-23) ultimately injures people badly.’1 Much Jewish hopes for the future are far from of this article is a reflection on disembodied and human-centred. On Recreation from the wilderness arguments put forward in my book The the contrary, they anticipate a kingdom Ecology of the New Testament in which where justice reigns for all creation. He was in the wilderness 40 days, I propose that God intends humanity to Similarly we glimpse the future hope for tempted by Satan; and he was with practise cosmic justice, that is, justice a non-predatory creation, again in the wild beasts; and the angels for people and for all creation.2 Isaiah: waited on him. (Mark 1.13)

Why the Bible? The wolf shall live with the lamb, the The first thing Jesus does after his If we claim the Bible is authoritative, leopard shall lie down with the kid, baptism is go to the wilderness. He then we must recognise that the calf and the lion and the fatling does not go to the metropolis but to unrestrained and un-mindful habits of together, and a little child shall lead where most humans don’t go. Wendell consumption are forbidden by God. them. The cow and the bear shall Berry perceptively comments that the Israel and the surrounding nations are graze, their young shall lie down wilderness is a place regularly castigated in the Old together; and the lion shall eat straw Testament for greed, envy, idolatry, like the ox. (Isaiah 11.5-7) … where we must go to be reborn – murder and so on. Today’s economic to receive the awareness, at once principles are finely honed to develop The book of Job also looks to such a humbling and exhilarating, grievous the worst aspect of our humanity: time: and joyful, that we are part of greed. In sum, the Bible is about God creation, one with all that we live responding to human greed and the For you shall be in league with the from and all that, in turn, lives from exploitation of fellow humans and the stones of the field, and the wild us.4 rest of creation. Our response to animals shall be at peace with you. ecological issues should not only be (Job 5.23) Through applying Berry’s insights we

10 Green Christian – Issue 75 – Summer 2013 FEATURE

can better perceive Jesus’ time in the article by encouraging readers to References 1. Earth Spirituality: Jesus at the Centre (New wilderness. I suggest it is the place reflect on the vision of the new Alresford: Arthur James Publishing, 1999, p.99). where he learns the cosmic virtues Jerusalem in Revelation 22 and 22, 2. The Ecology of the New Testament Colorado Springs, Biblica, 2010. necessary to establish God’s reign of contemplating their own place in 3. All translations are from the NRSV. peace for all creation: humility, the joy creation and working out how they can 4. The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays of being part of something bigger than bring about the visions of hope in the of Wendell Berry Washington DC: Counterpoint, 2002, pp.99-100. humanity, and a sense of God’s Bible that were clearly not limited to 5. The Rapture Exposed New York: Basic Books, intentions for all creation which human humanity. As you do I suggest we be 2004, p.169. creation is hell-bent on destroying. It is inspired by Barbara Rossing’s summing in the wilderness that Jesus begins to up of how Revelation 21–22 moves her: put these virtues into practice. Jesus goes to the heart of non-human New Jerusalem gives us a vision of a Mark Bredin is a freelance theological creation learning that human destiny is beloved community, a world of tutor and writer and has published tied up with all creation, as we see in abundance for all. This is God’s widely in New Testament studies and the Old Testament texts above. vision for our whole created world – ecology. He is author of The Ecology a world where people of all nations of the New Testament. He lives in According to only Mark, Jesus was ‘with find open gates of welcome, where King’s Lynn with his wife, Fran, where the wild beasts’. As he practises poor people find water without price, they attempt to care for their large cosmic virtues, the result is a vision of where all find healing … a world that town garden. harmony even between humans and will not be left behind. This is a vision those that humans most fear: wild to which we are transported in beasts. This detail evokes various worship. And this story also scholarly interpretations. Probably the transports us back home to see and most common is to see the beasts as live God’s vision in our world today.5 Satan’s representatives. My own view, which has strong scholarly support, is that ‘with the beasts’ means exactly what it says: Jesus is with the beasts in The newly-founded King’s Lynn Christian Ecology Link Group invites you to a companionable way, perhaps alluding to the non-predatory future visions in the Old Testament. Jesus would be A Celebrating Creation weekend 5th to 7th July 2013 more akin to Francis of Assisi who is well known for his compassion towards As Christians we believe God intends humans to worship and celebrate God’s animals and birds. For Francis, social gift of life through serving the whole of creation. Over the weekend we will justice was not possible without consider how we can do this in our local communities in the light of our own ecological justice when he writes: personal circumstances. This might mean looking at our consumption attitudes towards oil, food, and water in the light of God’s commandments to If you have men who will exclude any celebrate life through cultivating habits of restraint. The emphasis will be on of God’s creatures from the shelter personal sharing and listening as well as having time to pray, read, cook, of compassion and pity, you will have sing, knit, swim in river, and garden (and many more). men who deal likewise with their fellow men. The weekend will be split between two homes (the Bredin’s in King’s Lynn with large town garden and the Burr’s who are living off-grid five miles outside of In Mark’s wilderness scene we glimpse King’s Lynn on a one acre small holding). It is hoped that these different at his future vision of all creation being settings will provide some food for thought on how we might show better our non-predatory and companionable like love for God in the mindful ways we celebrate and rejoice in creation. The the Old Testament texts above. In sum, maxim for the weekend will be: ‘We can all do something to encourage God’s Jesus enters the wilderness to be re- born as a new being ready to show creations to abound and flourish whether that is growing tomatoes on a 8th humanity what he has learned – those floor balcony in Manchester to lifting redundant factory floor slabs in cosmic virtues God intends humans to Coventry’. learn and practise so that all life may flourish. There will be contributions by a Cambridge Transition member, mature distant learning student of theology, tutor and writer in biblical studies and ecology, Visions of hope for today Christian green campaigner, and reflections of a small-holder family living off Just as Jesus needed visions from his grid with two young children. own religious and cultural treasury to inspire and motivate his work, so we If you are interested please let me know by email: [email protected] need them, today more than ever, as or phoning me on 07746 779984 or 01553 675421. antidotes to human-centred visions of greed that are beamed into our living Mark Bredin rooms day after day. I conclude this

www.greenchristian.org.uk 11 FEATURE Finding the Still Point Ross Ashley continues her series on the rediscovery our directions

n the last issue of Green Christian winter was drawing in and I was Ireflecting on the way winter, the cold north, night time, draws us into stillness of the earth which can take us back to our roots, help us become grounded, gathering ourselves in and reflecting on what has gone before, as well as nurturing the seeds of what we may do next. It is also a time to celebrate eldership, experience, wisdom and tradition and to listen to stories.

Time has moved on, spring is here as I write, the birds are lively and loud and there is blossom and growth, summer is waiting round the corner when productivity and energy will be at their height. Creativity and productivity in our lives go through cycles, as do the hours of the day and the seasons of the we plough on through the middle of the the sun coming through a window, will year which are often linked to the working or creative day, or seasonally even for a moment lift our hearts and directions of the compass. find ourselves busier than ever in the fill us anew with the energy we need. summer ‘garden’ when it is both The sun itself is the bringer of all the The sun moves daily through the sky possible and necessary to get energy that flows from plants to from east at dawn to sunset in the everything done, how can we find ways animals, that links all living and non- west. Springtime, linked to the east, to pause? living things and basking in the sun is a brings fresh new growth, summer celebration of its life-bringing purpose. (south) is the time of flowering, making We choose of course how often we fruit and growing and autumn (west) look for that still point; whether at the The rising and falling of energy is brings fulfilment with the gathering in of height of a creative or productive cycle useful and natural. The seventh day rest the fruit and the harvest before winter of work or a project, or part of each and our need for daily sleep (north) shuts things down. In the same day, retreat, each season or all of the demonstrate that constant productivity way our energies change through the above, the elements can help us create is not how we are meant to operate. To day from rest, from incubating ideas, to rituals to bring structure to the keep on going without pause, without wakefulness and alertness as they are moment. We can create a space or an rest, without relief can wear us down birthed, through periods of illumination icon that calls out to us as we pass: in and stress us out, we can lose direction and inspiration, activity, high energy, the corner where we put down our and lose our love of what we are doing. focus and productivity, then slowing keys, near the sink, next to our evening Accepting the waxing and waning of down, evaluating and celebrating and chair, using symbols of the elements energy will release us from the pressure coming back to rest in the dark times as powerful reminders for different of always doing, always proving our of incubation once more. times of the day or year. value, to ourselves and others. Pausing and finding the still point is to nourish So, in our days and in our creative Fire in the form of a painting, a ourselves and to join in the creative act. processes the time relating to high candle, a colour, can help us remember levels of energy is the south, linked with to give thanks for the energy and Dr. Ross Ashley is the Centre the sun’s heat, with fire, with the creativity, the work we have, as we Director of Ringsfield Hall EcoCentre summer, with the middle of the day. In pause and make sense of it. Lighting a in Suffolk. The Centre provides some climates that is the very time to candle, sitting near or around a fire, programmes for all ages particularly rest, as the heat is so great and star-gazing, enjoying the beauty, colour emphasizing reconnection with self, everyone stops for siesta. Here, where and fragrance of flowers produced by others, the earth and God. that natural rhythm does not occur, and the summer heat, turning our faces to

12 Green Christian – Issue 75 – Summer 2013 Prophets and Clowns – imagination and resistance in action a call to consider Non-Violent Direct Action

Truly free for action

I think the biggest challenge CEL members have is to reconcile hope (from which action springs) and honesty (about the prospects of improvement, whether in the international process, human nature or the power of privatising interests). We each have to find a reconciliation between hope and honesty. Mine came from Thomas Merton's Letter to a Young Activist (see p.16). I commend it to everyone.

His exhortation 'do not depend on the hope of results' is sobering. It can look like a betrayal and a surrender. But it's only when we are free from the outcome that we are truly free for the action. There was a time when I could have been pushed out of optimism into despair. I think what Merton tells us is that beyond both optimism and despair Why the image of the Clown? circa 30AD there is a holy place where activists should be – a place of that obedience The clown is both comedian and critic, Jesus said, “The Sabbath was which is true freedom. at once jester and prophet. The clown’s made to serve us; we weren’t role is to provide comic relief and made to serve the Sabbath”. I'm afraid I simply don't have time left critical commentary. What begins as (Mark 2.28,29 The Message) in my diary for new levels of action, but laughter at the clown’s antics often I do have further to go in 'allowing leads to laughter at the human When Jesus left the field, he myself, in the obedience of faith, to be condition itself, with all its absurdity entered the meeting place. There used by God's love', and I am sure I and ambiguity. Still more, a good clown was a man there with a crippled always will. That's what being part of helps us laugh at ourselves. We laugh hand. They said to Jesus, “Is it CEL does for me, and the idea of a when the clown falls, trips, receives a legal to heal on the Sabbath?” gathering rooted in mutual support and cream pie in the face, only to realize They were baiting him. seeking the Spirit's guidance appeals that our lives are full of falls, unhappy He replied, “Is there a person to me. We try to make our surprises and totally unexpected here who, finding one of your conferences, retreats and annual moments. We laugh in order not to cry. lambs fallen into a ravine, members' meetings such occasions, The clown is oppressed, incoherent, wouldn’t, even though it was the but I am sure we silly, an object on whom others vent Sabbath, pull it out? Surely could do better. their fury. The clown laughs, as we do, kindness to people is as legal as Please say how, and yet at the very best the clown kindness to animals!” Then he and I for one will cries, as do we. said to the man, “ Hold out your be keen to make hand.” He held it out and it was it happen. n Eugene L. Stockwell, Director healed. The Pharisees walked out Commission on World Mission and furious, sputtering about how Paul Bodenham, Evangelism, in A Community of Clowns, they were going to ruin Jesus. Chair, CEL WCC Publications 1987 (Matthew 12.9,14 The Message). Dear Readers, Westley Ingram articulates a qu

Thank you for reading this. The readership extraordinary times in an open let of Green Christian, and by that I mean Christian Ecology Link, has become a such. As the situation we face worsens it serves no purpose to be coy lifeline to me. I find myself, I expect much about our calling. like yourselves, living in a society gleefully singing and dancing its way off the edge of Although I never got it at first and somebody had to point it out to me, a cliff. For those of us trying to dance to a the term ‘Storm of Hope’ that we use to articulate the still, small voice that different tune it can be lonely and not a will give us no peace until there is peace, is from a poem by Daniel little embarrassing at times. Berrigan, ‘That Intransitive Being’:

As such, being able to share with you Christ, alpha, omega this burden of concern for the creation we avatar of hope were created to care for is of whose heart in spite of all immeasurable value to me. At the risk of hopes on in spite of us stretching a metaphor I feel like we are the hopes on for us, in spite of us – weird kids at the school disco dancing to rain, rain on us Thriller while the DJ is playing untamed, unconstrained Hammertime. Hang the DJ indeed. I have your wildfire storm of hope. just revealed my age perhaps but you can insert your own musical references as you We are greatly inspired, encouraged and challenged by the example of see fit. prophets like Daniel Berrigan. He was poet, priest, activist and convict. The last of these categories does not sit well with me and for good reason. This shared burden we carry – this Nobody should relish the prospect of incarceration. This notwithstanding, it curious blessing that keeps us awake at has been a long time since Christian witness meant Christian martyr to night and makes us round pegs in square most Christians. We who have been blessed with the knowledge of Jesus holes at work, rest and play – is the gift Christ will always be grateful to the Church, the kyphotic giant upon whose given to a prophetic community. I am shoulders we stand. This said, we have inherited a Church and a gospel becoming less averse to describing us as which is very well adjusted to injustice, yet our faith remains a living faith in a living God who has not changed. He is still the God who would have Isaiah tread Jerusalem naked, the same God who thought it acceptable that Jeremiah would languish in a pit and ultimately the God whose supreme prophetic act led to his Son being nailed to a cross. 1965 I find myself wondering then what is appropriate behaviour for those of us ‘Nonviolent direct action seeks to create who are both aware of the will of God for creation and also of what is being such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. The question we now face is, ‘Does loving as God loves ‘We who engage in nonviolent direct require us to be willing to action are not the creators of tension. We transgress against the law?’ merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. A few of us in Christian Ecology Link have begun ‘Cowardice asks the question, “Is it safe?” asking this question. Expediency asks the question, “Is it politic?” Vanity asks the question, “Is it Phil Kingston popular?” But, conscience asks the Sandra Dutson question, “Is it right?” And there comes a Reggie Norton time when one must take a position that Rod Thick is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, Ruth Jarman but one must take it because one's George Dow conscience tells one that it is right.’ Westley Ingram Chris Walton Martin Luther King Jnr A few days before his ‘I have a dream speech’ affirmative by Christians all over the world uestion for ordinary Christians in for the last two millennia. The question we now face is ‘Does loving as God loves require us to be willing to transgress tter against the law?’

done to the beloved of our beloved. Letters we write and marches we I take no pleasure in writing this, nor do I march and we change our light bulbs and grow our vegetables and enjoy considering it. My Christian testimony certainly people take some notice. We have an aversion to crossing the has been a series of attempts to live a line in our activism onto the side of illegality and that seems very quiet life, each confounded by the death commendable. Certainly it is widely commended. However, is it and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I do not appropriate? seek out controversy for its own sake and certainly would avoid any arbitrary We face the certain destruction of the natural systems that make life on lawbreaking, but I have to ask, ‘Is our earth recognisable. Our Government doesn’t deny this. They cannot. Their society’s response to catastrophic climate own scientists tell it to them. It is our Government’s official policy that we change deluded enough and the are committed to limiting UK carbon dioxide emissions to levels that are consequences severe enough to make consistent with no more than a 2°C rise in temperature. This all sounds legitimate the inclusion of non-violent direct like excellent news. Certainly our news media, from the most respectable action in our activism?’ to the least, are very happy to tell us that every other story in the world is of more concern to us than the eradication of a significant proportion of Certainly some of us are having difficulty the lives on this planet. Decisions are influenced by those with no interest answering ‘no’ to that question. If you have in justice and then communicated to us by those with a dulled appetite for a different response to these issues then I the truth. Our society is gripped in a vice of fear and suspicion, crippled by would genuinely like to be convinced by anxiety about the future but fiercely protective of the status quo, the only you. If you also feel that what we now face viable option we are allowed to imagine. When some public display is makes legitimate non-violent direct action, made to reassure us that the whispers we have heard about the end of the please contact us so we can prayerfully world as we know it are being addressed, the results are hollow and don’t support each other in this. n stand up to inspection. Yours In this context I find myself wondering what the appropriate response Westley Ingram should be. Since respectability, congeniality and legality guarantees the [email protected] death of hundreds of millions if not billions of people, is the line of legality drawn by our law-makers an arbitrary barrier? Certainly we are told to submit to those in authority but that was written by a man prone to writing NVDA 2013 letters from prison. I don’t know the answer to this. I know a few of us We cannot escape the truth of climate within Christian Ecology Link have begun asking this question. The change, and so we shrug our shoulders, question is not ‘Is it possible to love as God loves while transgressing preferring to accept various facts: entire against the law of the land?’ That question has been answered in the ecosystems have died ... As Christians, we are required to do more than accept the problems we create. We are challenged to repent. And repentance should be more than saying sorry. It requires a change of both heart and action.

Our repentance must be loud, and it must be visible, if we are to act as an example, and to suggest a way out of the complacency into which our society has sunk………

Quiet regret is not enough. We must assert our repentance for the misuse of creation. We need to unite our voices. If we could have the courage to challenge the status quo and all it represents, then If you are interested get in we could force the Government to count the physical presence of our non-violent touch: Tamsin Omond, author, journalist and founding member [email protected] of the direct action group Climate Rush. direct action. Tamsin Omond CEL member and founder member Grandparents of Grandparents for a Safe Earth, occupy Barclays Phil Kingston writes: I don't rush to put myself in a position where I break the law and Bank could get arrested so last Wednesday's action came after a lot of thought and prayer. Like each of you who has That advice from Thomas Merton... children, I have been increasingly concerned about the kind of earth that Do not depend on the hope of our children and grandchildren will results. When you are doing the inherit. For a number of years I have sort of work you have taken on, plugged away at engaging politicians, essentially an apostolic work, you business and media about the may have to face the fact that your seriousness and urgency of this. I think work will be apparently worthless many of them already know at a head and achieve no result at all, if not level but are frightened to speak perhaps results opposite to what because they either don't know what to you expect. …The big results are do or are concerned about the not in your hands or mine, but they enormity of trying to manage society's suddenly happen, and we can share responses, and maybe the magnitude in them, but there is no point in of the changes to their own building our lives on this personal philosophies. I am disappointed and satisfaction, which may be denied us disturbed by their responses, though and which after all is not that those words often don't do justice to important....All the good that you will what I feel, which is sometimes more do will come, not from you but from despair. Well, despair is a useful the fact that you have allowed pathway to re-finding hope, hope in yourself, in the obedience of faith, to Grandparents for a Safe Earth God and the human spirit and in the be used by God’s love. Think of this care deeply about the world our love which we have for our children more and gradually you will be free grandchildren will inherit. We call on and grandchildren; and for all of those from the need to prove yourself, and Barclays Bank to disinvest from coal unborn who aren't yet even a twinkle in you can be more open to the power infrastructure and radically to increase their parents' eyes! that will work through you without investment in renewable energy and your knowing it. ... If you can get energy efficiency. The reason we took the action we did free from the domination of causes is stated in the extract from the press and just serve Christ’s truth, you will On 6 March, members of the group release which is on the Bristol be able to do more and will be less made a protest inside Barclays Bank, Indymedia website below. crushed by the inevitable Whiteladies Road, Bristol. They disappointments. Because I see displayed posters, offered leaflets and After going into the bank we gave the nothing whatever in sight but much asked for the support of staff and manager a letter which explained what disappointment, frustration, and customers in pressing for Barclays to we intended to do and why. It included confusion. ...The real hope, then, is disinvest from coal. Photographs of this statement: not in something we think we can grandchildren helped draw attention to do, but in God who is making their reasons for action. 'We are grandparents who come here something good out of it in some with peace and goodwill in our hearts. way we cannot see. The group is focussing on Barclays This reflects both the kind of earth because the bank is the UK’s largest which we want our grandchildren to investor in worldwide coal inherit and our wish to connect with the infrastructure, and therefore a major longing for peace and goodwill which contributor to climate change we believe resides in all human hearts. (www.banktrack.org). The group Our actions today will be peaceful and believes that current energy policy, our intention is to cause no damage or financed heavily by Barclays, puts their injury.' grandchildren’s future at risk. http://youtu.be/lsp4ZvlC7BU http://bristol.indymedia.org.uk/articles/ 716965 CEL NEWS

CEL Activities ecocell: The Place to Be A report on ecocell 2’s workshop on sustainable transport

Over the past few months CEL has been active in several areas: • Westley Ingram, Ruth Jarman and others carried the CEL banner in support of the biofuelwatch in their demonstration at the DRAX AGM in London. DRAX plans to convert its coal facility to dual- fuel, burning biomass imported from abroad. Although assurances have been given that this will be from sustainable sources, current plans for converting power stations to biomass will require many times more wood than is Dr. Steve Melia addressing the grown by this country every year. workshop • Judith Allinson sent out a European Churches Environmental Network Churchyard Survey to Members of CEL’s ecocell discipleship from our ability to find meaning and members who requested it. Call community were joined by new friends purpose in the place we find ourselves. the CEL office if you would like to last January for the ecocell transport George reflected on the place he lives complete a survey of your own seminar: From A to B? Or Making A a in now, and how he came to accept his churchyard. good place to Be? The title of the day place in it and then to see the potential • We signed up to the call for spoke volumes as we spent time in the place. Staying put allowed him to action in support of the Global considered how we travel, why we travel find places of beauty and people of Day of Action on Military Spending and what it means for us to stay put. peace who he had not seen before. which calls for military spending to be shifted towards social and How we got here Car-free communities environmental needs. Pax Christi Tony Emerson, joint co-ordinator of Steve Melia, Senior Lecturer in is one of the initiators of this ecocell 2 gave an overview of our transport planning at the University of project which was marked for the current position. First of all we took a the West of England in Bristol spoke to first time in the UK this April. “Cook’s Tour” of the last century’s us about his research into car-free • We distributed thousands of extra developing relationship between communities, concentrating upon the copies of our Storm of Hope personal motoring and town planning examples of good practice from brochure to be handed out by CEL and the corresponding trends in Freiberg, Groningen and Lyon. It seems members in their own churches. emissions. Those of us committed to that Britain leads Europe in our reliance Call the CEL office if you want living lives that are responsible in terms upon the car. some extra copies for your own of emissions of CO2 and everything else Church 0845 459 8460. have a long way to go. The ecocell Nevertheless reliance upon the car is community usually concentrates on our common throughout Europe and personal lifestyle choices and their even where car use is discouraged impact on our co-creation but the within large cities Europe’s system choices we make are limited to the of motorways means that intercity CEL’s Annual Members Meeting choices available to us in the place driving is on the rise. Please note the date has been were we live. Today we would be changed since Storm of Hope came considering what it means for a The examples given were very out. Our AMM for 2013 is at St community to be sustainable in terms interesting, showing how it was Aloysius Church, 20 Phoenix Road, of transport and travel. possible for a city to move away from Euston, London NW1 1TA, on car use over a period of decades of Saturday 2nd November. Where are we consistent town planning. Steve’s The new joint co-co-ordinator of ecocell, research revealed a lot of challenging George Dow, reflected on what it facts also. When people are asked what means to live in a place. Our willingness needs to be done to encourage people to curtail our travel, to travel more out of their cars they usually say ‘better slowly and more deliberately derives public transport’ but he showed that

www.greenchristian.org.uk 17 CEL NEWS

New Members Kathy Barton (Lancs) cities that invest in improved public Gordon & Lynne Blair (Lancs) transport do not necessarily Steering Committee Alison Duckers (Notts) significantly reduce car use. Usually Nominations Peter Grimwood (Worcester) new and improved public transport Ralph Hindle (Avon) provision mainly leads to new trips or This time each year we refresh Michael Howitt (London) people switching from existing modes the membership of CEL’s steering Michael Milton (Kent) of public transport with only small levels committee with a call for Rev Andrew Norman (Surrey) of transfer from the car. He cited one nominations. This year the Simon Ross (Shropshire) interesting example of free public deadline is 6 July. If you would Anthony & Eline Smith (Yorkshire) transport for the young in Holland like to consider becoming part of Sylvia Walker (West Yorks) having the primary effect of reducing our national committee please Diocese of Gloucester (Dr Simon cycling. Ultimately it is important to email Barbara Echlin (CEL Topping) disincentivise car use while making Secretary) Merrilyn Sawrey-Cookson (Cumbria) public transport easier. This will not [email protected] Richard Griffiths (Surrey) only make for more liveable or call Paul Bodenham (CEL Chair) communities but will also increase on 01949 861516 for more Please notify the CEL office if you resilience in the event of resource information on what is involved move or change your email or shortages to come. n and how to put yourself forward. telephone number – and ask for a Membership Response Form to fill in Westley Ingram if you haven’t already sent one to us. CEL has agreed to be one of the signatories of the Lausanne Consultation on Creation Care and the Gospel The prophet Joel challenged the people heard from many different contexts • Should you enter a covenant with of his time: ‘Listen, all you who live in the including the urban poor in Brazil, Haiti your family, fellowship group or land. Has anything like this ever and the Congo; those engaged in Church to encourage significant happened in your days or in the days of forestry work in Ghana and Burundi, and changes towards a simpler lifestyle? your forefathers? Tell it to your in conservation work in India; and from • How can the whole Church be children…’Joel 1:2. The land had been pastors, scientists, mission leaders, mobilised to contribute to modelling devastated by locusts; now we are theologians and educators. and advocating a more sustainable facing an unprecedented ecological Presentations and interest groups way of life? crisis that demands the kind of whole- explored issues such as missions and • How can you engage students and hearted response that Joel called for, the gospel, food security, other visitors from overseas to but this time from the worldwide Church. communications and sustainable cities. contribute to an exploration of what a We were led to two primary conclusions: sustainable way of life will involve in In 2010 the Third Lausanne Congress on that creation care is indeed a ‘gospel different contexts, and its World Evangelization issued ‘The Cape issue within the lordship of Christ’; and implications for trade etc? How can Town Commitment’ which recognised that we are faced with a crisis that is you foster creative links and that ‘The Bible declares God’s pressing and urgent and that must be partnerships between Churches and redemptive purpose for creation. Integral resolved within our generation. Do pray fellowship groups here and across mission means discerning, proclaiming, with the consultation participants for the world? and living out the biblical truth that the fruitful outcomes, including: • So many of the impacts of our way gospel is God’s good news, through the of life are ‘below the horizon’ – what cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1. A whole-hearted response to the can you do to research and share for individual persons, and for society, consultation’s Call to Action, such information, and to contribute and for creation.’ This led to a 2. A global creation care movement of to remedial action? commitment to ‘urgent and prophetic scientists, theologians and • How can you pray for, support and ecological responsibility.’ practitioners, with regional planning encourage those involved in creation groups to encourage appropriate care as an integral part of mission? One outcome of this was the gathering responses in different parts of the How can you mobilise others to join of over 50 people from 26 nations last world, in this work? October at the Lausanne Consultation on 3. Creation care will be embraced by all Creation Care and the Gospel. Our Christians in their understanding and For more information about the prayers, discussions and worship grew practice of mission. Lausanne Movement out of the themes of God’s world, God’s So please read the Call to Action and http://www.lausanne.org/en/about.htm Word and God’s Work. Voices were prayerfully consider how to respond:

18 Green Christian – Issue 75 – Summer 2013 In Light and Shade Isobel Murdoch places CEL’s Local Groups on the prophetic edge

request a specific song, piece of music, prayer or poem and explain why this inspires them. The Norfolk DEO intends to draw on the writings of Matthew Fox, an eco-theologian in the USA, to inspire others with Fox’s very positive theology of creation. Churches Together in Leighton Buzzard have followed an environmental study course assembled by the CEL group leader from ecocell and like programmes. The St Ives group will hear Hilary Marlow preach at the Free United Reform Church. Hereford CEL recently met to discuss the 2013 Storm of Hope issue, while on another occasion they heard a talk with slides on the Nature of Herefordshore. The Clun Group has maintained their link with Sustainable Futures, with talks on organic farming and on the work of Natural England to maintain the flora and fauna of the Stiperstones.

Reawakening the awareness of the natural world we are losing in the face of the demands of the 24/7 media output is crucial. The Clun group will esolation and restoration, lament stems cut and bent to form strong tour an organic farm this spring. and hope, shadows and shafts of growth, ungainly now, but a signal of Leighton Buzzard CEL is also planning Dsun: familiar conflicts to all of us hope in each day’s weather – this an outing to an organic farm. Members who struggle with this degraded world. morning was dark, windy and wet, but of the other CEL group in Bedfordshire, And conflicts familiar also to Jeremiah. now the flagstones glisten in the sun. Clifton, went to Welwyn Garden City’s His early prophecies are doom-laden Peace Garden: an unused space behind ‘I will weep and wail for the mountains’ As light and shade interweave in our a chuch now planted with hundreds of (9.10), although these too are shot own consciousness, so I see this bulbs and many species of plants and through with glimmers of hope, as in mirrored within CEL local groups, as drawing the community together. Jeremiah 23. Then in Jeremiah 29, the several groups, whether long-running or tenor alters, the balance shifts and recent, struggle and close, while new Once again, groups also seek to reverses. Still we hear of punishment ones open. A new CEL group has interweave political activities and an and storm, still the city will be formed in King’s Lynn, and the first individual response. Cheltenham CEL besieged, but there will be joy and weekend in July will see their inaugural held an event in February at which the gladness for God’s followers, and He event, an Open Weekend to celebrate local MP was quizzed about the will ‘plant them in this land in creation and display members’ Government’s new Energy Bill. In May faithfulness’ (32.41). sustainable lifestyles. They would be they will hear from Tom Cullinan, a glad to see you there. Catholic priest, about ‘A Year of Food Light and shade interplay in nature: in and Faith’, cross-referencing Pope the sea where darts of In their walk all of CEL’s local groups Benedict XVI’s year of Faith with the IF phosphorescence light the dark ocean seek to interweave the dual threads of Campaign against global hunger. This ... on my recent winter and spring faith and ecology, in diverse ways. campaign will be central this year and walks with, on one side an older ivy-clad Andover CEL recently enjoyed a bring members of Reading CEL lobbied their hedge, flailed and torn, and on the and share supper preceded by a bring MP alongside other local campaigners other, a newly laid hedge, the shrub and share liturgy, when members could in March. The IF Campaign was one

www.greenchristian.org.uk 19 issue covered by the first issue of a new quarterly magazine which the Wallington group has decided to produce. Entitled New Leaf, the magazine will be sent to 18 local Send in the Clowns Churches. Perhaps an idea other groups might follow?

Petersfield CEL still supports the Send in the Clowns is a song by Stephen Sondheim from the 1973 musical A Greening Movement which in March Little Night Music, an adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's film Smiles of a Summer held a talk by Lord Stern on the Night. It is a ballad from Act II in which the character Desirée reflects on the environmental situation since the Stern ironies and disappointments of her love life. The refrain keeps asking, ‘Where are the clowns?’ and ‘Where are the Clowns?/There ought to be clowns’ and again report in 2006. The Milton Keynes ‘Where are the Clowns?/Don’t bother they’re here’. group heard a Green Party politician discuss the party’s policies and also The use of the image of the clown in the song refers to the two lovers. They had hosted a talk about the United got it wrong; botched it up. They were both vulnerable, sad and wondering if there Sustainable Energy Agency. was any hope of ever getting it right. There was no need to send in the clowns to make them laugh and recover their self-esteem and their love. After all they At the individual/group level, children themselves were the clowns, the ones with the resilience to carry on despite the in Clifton have enjoyed planting bulbs in set backs, in spite of the mistakes to live with hope and finally to reach their goal. the churchyard, and craft sessions, glass-painting and making cards. In Shrewsbury the Ecumenical Green Group has responded to the Rubbish The Rubbish Diet Challenge. Diet Initiative with a Slim Your Bin challenge. The group’s contact’s street Can the average person really create zero waste? Karen Cannard a mother from has become the first street in England Bury St Edmunds gave it a go in 2008. By the end of an eight week trial she threw to implement the challenge to cut away only one plaster! waste down to 10kg, or even 3kg a fortnight, when the national average Now five years on the Rubbish Diet is about to be launched across the counties of stands at 26kg (see the box alongside)! Suffolk and Shropshire. It has made it through to the finals of a major national waste reduction challenge. Over the next six months each county needs to have brought 100 households on board. The Wallington group has decided to embark on ecocell 2 interspersed with The idea is to monitor your bin, taking photographs and/or weighing your bin during reflective sessions on faith and nature. an eight week period. This will help track progress and by comparing with others, Ottery St Mary will once more run their encourage exchanging hints and advice. biannual environment event in their church in early October, with activities Every week challenges are set such as: finding what and where items can be for children outside and a programme recycled, shopping with waste in mind. We look at trying to reduce food waste and of talks inside. composting more, all the time working towards zero waste.

As Jeremiah’s prophecies progress, See www.therubbishdiet.co.uk for more details. the time shifts once again, darkness redescends. Many nations will be Here in Shropshire we did a trial with 15 households at the end of 2012. This uprooted, ‘joy and gladness … gone showed the potential of the concept and following this pilot a member of from the orchards and fields of Moab’ Shrewsbury Ecumenical Green Group. Howard Hutchings has helped launch it in his (Jeremiah 8.33). As there, so here, street, the first in the country to do so. 15 households are working together to slim phosphorescence fades away. Months their bins. go by before the new hedge grows. And dark clouds gather once more over All recyclable items that cannot go into the fortnightly kerbside collection are put my garden. into dumpy bags situated outside one of the households taking part. This household then takes these items to one of the county’s recycling centres. This means that one vehicle is taking recycled goods to the centre saving 14 journeys from the Jeremiah’s hope and lament still street. A different household carries out this task two weeks later. sound. When we return to God and truly repent our faithfulness (3.22), then God Initial results have been astounding with most families reducing their waste by a assures us, ‘your wounds I will heal’ third and one family by 20kg! The Rubbish Diet really works – bins get slimmer and (30.17). I will close there with the working together makes it a fun and rewarding process. shadows aside, but as in Jeremiah, the struggle goes on, as each day closes in If you or your Church or your street would like to slim your bins or if you would like mid-sentence. Will we walk the way of more information please contact Alison Thomas on 07972 858313 or desolation or the way of restoration? n [email protected]. Or Howard Hutchings. [email protected]

20 Green Christian – Issue 75 – Summer 2013 RESOURCE REVIEWS

The place for Green Christian readers to find inspiring and informative resources

McDonagh also describes developing countries keen to risk their biosphere with Fukushima: nuclear plants, including Vietnam, the Philippines, India, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya The Death Knell for Nuclear Energy? and North Korea. According to McDonagh, Catholic bishops in these and other By Sean McDonagh July 2012 Columba Press countries have warned about the dangers 166 pages ISBN 978-1-8560-7784-2 RRP £10.99 of nuclear, and promoted genuine alternative renewable energies. Fukushima This is a clear exposition of the Fukushima water into the alerted even the cautious Vatican. In nuclear disaster, its antecedents and its seas. Like McDonagh’s words, ‘In response to the continuing aftermath. McDonagh Chernobyl, Fukushima Daiichi disaster, it seems that compares the nuclear craze to the ancient Fukushima is the Holy See has now changed its policy myth of Poseidon stealing fire from the now within the deep earth, endangering on promoting nuclear energy. Nuclear gods. Nuclear energy was first discovered earth life including humans. power is neither safe nor cheap.’ by the French physicist Henri Becquerel in McDonagh notes that spent uranium and To return to Prometheus stealing fire 1896. But the real history of the other saturated materials must be from the gods and giving it to humans, development of nuclear energy and power segregated and stored for 200,000 years, Zeus was so angry he sent the goddess is in the 20th century, the quest for a span roughly comparable to the years Pandora, who opened a box releasing all military uses culminating in the Nagasaki since our species first appeared in Africa. evils such as disease and death, which and Hiroshima disasters, but still McDonagh has done impressive research, plague humans. Hubris brought nemesis. continuing as deterrence, as in Israel and including the writings of Dr Helen The Christian response to nuclearism, North Korea, and the UK. Caldecott, New Economics Foundation, along with religions such as Shinto and McDonagh documents the horrendous NGOs and contemporary journals, Buddhism, was well described by the dangers of nuclear power, including the including the Guardian and New Scientist. Japanese bishops after Fukushima. ‘In near impossibility of decommissioning McDonagh chronicles other disasters such order to protect life, which is so precious, plants and storing spent fuels safely and as Windscale, Three Mile Island, and we must not focus on economic growth by avoiding accidents from natural disasters, Chernobyl, and warnings about other privatising profitability and efficiency, but such as occurred at Fukushima. Almost potential, and even beginning, disasters decide at once to abolish nuclear plants.’ immediately after the catastrophe, such as Sellafield, Hinkley Point, Governments, including that of Japan, radiation was found in air, soil, water and Hartlepool and Dungeness. In all accidents would be well advised to heed the fish within a large radius. Shockingly in and credible warnings there is a Japanese bishops. April 2011 the Japanese government subsequent cover-up by the nuclear lobby released 11,500 tons of contaminated including industry, government and media. Dr Edward P. Echlin

No Oil in the Lamp: Fuel, conventional Bible relates to the present situation in energy sources – terms of the lessons and instructions Faith and the Energy Crisis coal, gas and within. By Andy Mellen and Neil Hollow nuclear – are The final three chapters cover what we August 2012 considered in as individual can do, what the Church Darton, Longman and Todd detail and some of locally and nationally can do, explaining 240 pages the moral issues what some local Churches have done and, ISBN 978-0-2325-2944-9 facing Christians in conclusion, where we go from here. RRP £12.99 from use of these There is also a very useful short glossary are discussed. and study guide. Andy Mellen owns a smallholding and There are two I read the whole book in just one and a has written on ecological issues for chapters about bit readings; I could simply not put it ThirdWay magazine. Neil Hollow has a alternative energy, down. Easy to read, full of facts, some doctorate in Environmental Biotechnology renewable electricity quite frightening, very well referenced and concerns about peak oil. and renewable heat and transport, and a indeed, and quite inspirational. As far as The first thing that made me sit up was look at the neglected area of the Peak Oil is concerned the world is sleep- the review that read, ‘Neil and Andy have relationship between oil, food and walking into a bleak future unless facts set out the background to the issue of chemicals. The economic market system are faced. The authors of this book face Peak Oil and exposed some of the is explored, as are some of the alternative those facts in easy-to-read detail and consequences of an energy-constrained models compatible with a life after Peak show that there really is a way forward if future’, this by the Chief Executive of Oil from a Christian viewpoint. The action is taken. Scottish and Southern Energy! consequences of carrying on in our The 13 chapters cover the problem present way are debated; the Transition Revd Peter Doodes and the Christian attitude to it. The Movement is discussed as is the way the

www.greenchristian.org.uk 21 RESOURCE REVIEWS

Between God & Green: Houghton who is great supporter of CEL. How Evangelicals Are Cultivating a The ‘middle ground’ to which the Middle Ground on Climate Change author refers still seems to be somewhat elusive. Perhaps the area By Katherine K Wilkinson July 2012 where this is most likely to develop is in Oxford University Press 256 pages the increasingly broad acceptance of ISBN 978-0-1998-9588-5 RRP £18.99 ‘creation care’ and care of neighbour as being essential elements of a Bible- This book is based on research carried there are now based Christianity. The author quotes out in the USA during 2007 to 2009 by many who see several testimonies of people who a consultant to the Boston Consulting this as a moved via this area to subsequent Group who has also taught major issue acceptance of the centrality of climate environmental science at Oxford that Christians are called change. University. It provides a wealth of on to address urgently. The environmental movement material and some deep insights and is The author’s summary of how and why worldwide has to accept that to a great written in a clear but inevitably these widely divergent positions exist was extent it appears to have failed to somewhat academic style. very enlightening to this reviewer, who is capture the hearts and minds of people The research included interviews with not an evangelical. Although much of what or to energise them to take action. The both leaders and ordinary members of she writes applies particularly to the USA, book suggests that religion, with its evangelical Churches. It is estimated for example the links between the right focus on ethical values, has an that evangelicals account for 25-30% of wing of the Republican Party and right- important contribution in motivating the US population so for those who are wing evangelicals, many of the insights people and the author maintains that a concerned with effective action on would be helpful for understanding people link between secular and religious climate change they are a vital group. of similar views in the UK. environmentalists is both possible and In the USA the term “evangelical” is What is particularly fascinating is the essential if the necessary action is to often taken to imply people who are description of the growth of a movement occur. It will be a long road ahead. As deeply sceptical of the science of which encouraged evangelicals to address one of the major evangelical leaders in climate change and of the need to climate change. To even mention this was the USA puts it: ‘right now … we’re kind tackle it. The author met many such like a red rag to a bull and the patient, of wandering in the wilderness, but we’re people and this perhaps still represents courageous work of a number of Church making for the promised land’. the majority of people in evangelical leaders is inspiring. Also notable is the Churches. But among the leadership help they received from Sir John Mike Monaghan

Sharing Eden: Green accurate differently and subsequently to attempt to presentations change their vision concerning how it Teachings from Jews, of how the ought to be regarded. Christians and Muslims Muslim, The potential of this book lies in the Christian and fact that it brings faiths together in a way By Nathan Levy, David Shreeve and Jewish that avoids the temptation of expecting Harfiyah Haleem communities are anyone to abandon their tradition, or to June 2012 seeking to presume their tradition is more Kube Publishing Ltd address a ecologically advanced or sophisticated 106 pages plethora of than the others, but rather to show that ISBN 978-1-8477-4041-0 ecological the ecological crisis is one which is RRP £4.99 concerns. shared by the entire human family. It might be Therefore, it makes sense to use such Sharing Eden represents an important said, however, ecological discussion as an opportunity initiative between the Muslim, Jewish and that the more advanced reader would for dialogue and to share the rich Christian traditions. It attempts to bring hope for a more sustained and critical resources contained within each tradition. together resources, theological ideas and analysis of some of the topics and, We may then come to a greater religious insights from each tradition in perhaps, of how the ecological crisis understanding of how we should behave in order to show the reader that addressing presents us with an opportunity for relation to the created order and move the ecological crisis is an opportunity for genuine inter-religious dialogue. towards the various contexts within which the human community to come together Nevertheless, those who have yet to this might be done. in dialogue and in love. acknowledge that there is, in fact, an One hopes that the authors of this Each section includes a short summary ecological crisis, or admit that faith short book will consider collaborating of how Jews, Muslims and Christians traditions contain rich resources which once again to produce a fuller and approach issues such as sustainability can sustain the quest for solutions, will be perhaps more sophisticated volume in the and waste; water; energy and natural greatly inspired by the writings contained not too distant future, as this is important resources; climate change; food; and within this short book. The illustrations work indeed. biodiversity and regeneration. The reader assist in giving the reader visual stimuli is guided carefully through clear and that encourage them to look at creation Ann Marie Mealey

22 Green Christian – Issue 75 – Summer 2013 RESOURCES TO DISCOVER

Cosmic Prayer and fit into Govaerts’ contemplative/prayer- abilities and dominates our attitudes Guided Transformation: centred vision? Christians might offer her towards creation, leading to those in the respite so she can go out with some upper echelons domineering over all Key Elements of the friends for an hour and thus in some way others. A key symptom of this hierarchy facilitate more intimate community. is the encouragement of self- Emergent Christian The doctrine of the Trinity is important empowerment among individuals. This Cosmology to Govaerts and is characterised by perspective leads to inequality and God’s self-giving, suffering, love and increasing suffering for many others. By Robert Govaerts compassion. This theory of the Trinity, Govaerts rightly argues that humans are August 2012 with its emphasis on God as loving to be defined by their capacity for a Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick community, is popular among many communal life rooted in God’s nature as 226 pages Christians concerned with both social and community and culture based in prayer, ISBN 978-1-6109-860-6 ecological justice. This discussion care, love and joyfulness. RRP £17.00 provides a helpful overview of scholarly In summary, this book is not an easy views such as those of Moltmann and read and I wonder whether Govaerts Govaerts presents a Christian Fiddes. could have made his argument more cosmological vision for all creation which It is argued that creation is in palatable by limiting his scope to fewer envisages humanity in a process of continuous process. All creation longs for disciplines. It strikes me, for example, transformation towards what God intends, communion with the Holy Trinity and for that Scripture alone would have amply exemplified uniquely in Jesus: care and personalisation within the Trinity (p.134). supported his argument, albeit without desire for justice for all creation. Through this longing for God, creation is the developed Trinitarian ideas. But this is Govaerts elucidates this vision in dialogue being guided by God to be at one with still a valuable with Scripture, Hellenistic thinking, his will (p.150). This view rejects a presentation of a traditional Christian theology – deterministic view of creation as well Christian particularly Maximus the Confessor as views of creation as finished or that cosmological (580–662) – and process and new God is micromanaging creation. vision that can theology, as well as scientific Indeed, creation as in process is part indeed motivate understandings of evolution. of God’s creative intention and this many of us to Govaerts emphasises personal provides a reason for Christians being seek justice for all transformation through prayer and divine involved in the world through living creation and a very guidance by which we develop virtues fit obediently in such a way as to useful resource for to bring about God’s will. This raises facilitate what God intends. anyone dealing with some concerns for me. For example, This book challenges the notion of Trinity or Maximus how does a single isolated mother with humankind’s distinctiveness as the Confessor. three young children and without a rooted in its rational abilities (p.99). partner, living in a high-rise block of flats, Hierarchy is often based on rational Mark Bredin

Faith and the Future of the tourism, and there is a plea that There is a connection between the Countryside Churches should work much more in business and the ecological in that it is partnership with secular agencies like said that a low-carbon economy would Edited by Jill Hopkinson and Alan Smith tourist boards, but also that those greatly benefit rural areas and there is March 2012 secular agencies should take more stress on the proximity principle in Canterbury Press, Norwich account of the Churches. regards to local trading and that peasant 144 pages There is considerable emphasis on farmers are ‘the last line of resistance to ISBN 978-1-8482-5117-5 rural poverty, which, it is claimed, has the global corporate takeover of the food RRP £24.99 (paperback), been largely ignored by successive chain’ (Echlin, quoting from Julian Rose). £17.90 (ebook) governments. While there has recently There is satisfaction that at least there is been some government concern about some hope of a sensible policy about our The book Faith and the Future the desperate need for woods, which are so vital to combating of the Countryside draws more social housing, the climate change. together the work of 12 recent cuts have set that Also, ‘woods draw humanity to see the excellent rural theorists and back. The needs of the divine in the ordinary’, and there are practitioners and is an elderly and the mentally ill admonitions to Churches to take more interesting mix of business, are considered, and one account of people’s spiritual yearnings, social, ecological, spiritual chapter raised the issue of which can often lead them to being and pastoral concerns. reclaiming the land for the inspired by church buildings, provided Several chapters stress people, known as food they are open, and to enjoying the peace the importance of the one sovereignty, though the that such rural areas as forests provide. million rural businesses in author admits that vested There is much in the book about the the UK. The business which interests would make that need for Churches to encourage the receives most attention, well nigh impossible at apart from farming, is present. continued on page 24

www.greenchristian.org.uk 23 RESOURCE REVIEWS

continued from page 23 Making Peace with the Land: God’s Call to Reconcile with Creation By Fred Bahnson and Norman Wirzba October 2012 IVP Books 178 pages formation of resilient communities and ISBN 978-0-8308-3457-0 RRP £9.93 the book ends with a delightful tale of how the sensitive use of three occasional Writers Fred Bahnson, an ‘Learning to See’, ‘Reconciliation with offices in a small village, which would agriculturalist, and Norman Wirzba, a Christ’, ‘Field, Table and Communion’, have been written off by many as having theology professor at Duke Divinity ‘Reconciliation through Eating’, and no vibrant Christian life, completely School, contribute alternate chapters ‘Bread for the Whole Body of Christ’. transformed the community and brought of this carefully-written, fact-packed Each chapter is biblically grounded, into the Kingdom surprising people in and fast-paced 180-page book. but not in an overbearing or preaching ones and twos. I will freely admit that time after time way, rather in references to the However, there is one very important I was left wide-eyed at the knowledge situation of, and the answers to, the element missing. Professor Leslie Francis contained within its covers, especially environmental problems that we face brought out a book in 1985 called Rural Bahnson’s reference to ‘some divine today. So often when reading Anglicanism, subtitled A future for young agro forestry advice’ in Isaiah 41:19 environmental books I feel a sense of Christians? He traced the way rural regarding the acacia tree, guilt for my distant Churches had turned from looking after the acacia being a tree behaviour, or ‘ecological young people to looking after ancient whose deep tap roots reach amnesia’ as the writers buildings. The cover of Faith and the the water table and whose gently put it, yet after Future shows children exiting a church nodules fix atmospheric reading this I felt a sense building, but in the introduction it is nitrogen. Bahnson also of hope and a renewing stated that it was decided to leave out writes of the maringa tree, of my enthusiasm, an any mention of young people. It looks as a tree that grows in many enthusiasm that I must if Francis’ question mark has not gone tropical areas, a tree admit sometimes runs away. whose small leaves perilously close to empty. contain – gram for gram As the Prologue heading Tony Hodgson – seven times the vitamin says, ‘For God so loved C of oranges, four times the soil (that) God planted the vitamin A of carrots, a garden in Eden’; God the four times the calcium of milk, gardener indeed. Powerful three times the potassium of bananas visions from a thoroughly and twice the protein of yoghurt. As recommended and very powerful this book shows time and time again, book, with its invitation to join God Join Now God’s abundance of nature is there, and, with him, get our hands dirty as If you wish to become a member of Christian just waiting to be discovered. we renew and restore creation. Ecology Link or subscribe to Green Christian, The two writers complement each please fill in this form and send with your other perfectly as their chapters cover Revd Peter Doodes remittance to: ‘Reconciliation with the Land’, CEL Membership, Richard and Nicky Kierton, Flat 1, 31 St James Terrace, Buxton SK17 6HS

Please tick: CEL Annual Retreat 2013 is to be held at Ringsfield Hall in Suffolk on the weekend of 18-20 October Standard Membership £18 Concessionary Rate (low income) £10 Using Ringsfield’s experience of enabling children Joint/Family/Corporate £28 to reconnect with the natural world, we will enjoy a Green Christian only £11 primarily outdoor retreat following and Church Membership (recommended) £25 reconstructing some of their activities, from demonstrating interconnection to the favourite Name activity for very many of the children who visit, namely times of solitude. We will discover how the Address children really do lead us and how we can engage in making our own meaning.

Come and enjoy CEL community in retreat together with all the space, quiet and good food at Ringsfield.

To book contact Chris on 07881 941296 or e-mail Postcode [email protected] or write to Chris Walton (GC75) Ringsfield Hall, Beccles, Suffolk NR34 8JR.

24 Green Christian – Issue 75 – Summer 2013 RESOURCES

Flight Behaviour orange butterflies so wildly off course a challenge to the English reader. and why have they arrived at this Delarobia’s life and that of her family is By Barbara Kingsolver particular place at this particular transformed by the coming of the Faber and Faber 2012 time? What are the butterflies, the scientists who study them UK price £18.99 consequences of this strange and the media who are looking for a 416 pages phenomenon for the good story. The butterflies offer her a characters, the country and way of escape from a loveless This is a novel about global the butterflies themselves? marriage, a constraining social existence warming. If you enjoyed How is this event to be and into the world of science. Hence the Barbara Kingsolver’s other understood by the scientists, title of the novel Flight Behaviour. novels such as The the Church and its preacher This novel would be a useful text for a Poisonwood Bible or The and the family on whose land Christian reading group whose members Lacuna you will enjoy this. the insects have settled? share an interest in justice, peace and The story is set in a As she comes from a farming the integrity of creation. It offers an farming community in community of this kind herself engaging way of addressing the issue of Tennessee, a community and has degrees in biology, this global warming and climate change and in which a Christian is a story that the author is well introduces the reader to some of the congregation of a conservative qualified to write. The best aspect of the political, scientific and moral issues that evangelical character plays an important story is the description of the interaction need to be resolved if we are to make part in setting the scene and determining between the heroine, Delarobia, and the any progress towards a wise response to the responses of the characters to what scientists who come to her farm to study this critical issue which is so fundamental occurs. the monarch butterflies. The least for all our futures. So what does occur? The novel concerns satisfactory aspect is the somewhat the migratory behaviour of the monarch clunky way in which the hard science is Let’s hope the book is soon published in butterfly, swarms of which suddenly introduced into the story line. Another paperback and made into a film. Such a arrive on the farm of the heroine’s family difficulty for me is that much of the treatment would be of great benefit to contrary to its normal pattern of life. Why dialogue is written in Appalachian slang the environmental cause. is this happening? Why are these hosts of which adds to the verisimilitude but offers Peter Grimwood Methodist Relief and Stations of the Forest Hope for Planet Earth Development Fund A Columban Mission A Christian Response to Climate Change Education Programme The Iota Produced by This DVD and 32 page Resource Booklet Tear Fund and Course uses the ‘Stations of the Cross’ format to A Rocha This is a small lament the stages in the death of a part group resource of God’s creation, the rainforests. This DVD a free 8- features four Session The programme visits the 14 Stations of professional course to help the Cross as stations of the forest, multi-media Christians providing Bible readings, facts and presentations understand figures and discussion questions. guiding you the issues through the behind global Originally science of produced in the injustice and Climate 1980s this is a how they can take action. Change, dispelling the myths; exploring revised The Leader’s booklet includes a CD. our impact on the planet; the moral production imperative surrounding the world’s poor; incorporating and the Biblical perspective. Iota includes: global issues Introductory session on Think Global: who to rainforest Featuring: is my neighbour? destruction Sir John Houghton Session on A Changing Climate. such as the Dr Martin Hodson Session on myths and preconceptions we extractive Rev. Dave Bookless sometimes have regarding international industries and Alisha Sanvicens development/aid. climate change. Andy Frost 15 short films, interactive exercises and games, Bible studies, discussions, “The earth is precious to God and to For further information: quizzes and action points. harm the earth is to heap contempt on www.hopeforplanetearth.co.uk its creator” Available from The Methodist Church, Chief Seattle’s Testimony 25 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5JR O20 7467 5132 For further information: [email protected] www.columbans.co.uk and [email protected]

www.greenchristian.org.uk 25 MAIL BAG

What our readers have to say

Dear Editor I am off again!

I am listening to the Radio 4 programme with Melvyn Brag, about the Va lue of Culture. It is very interesting and is talking about the way Edward Tyler coined the word Dear Editor ‘anthropology’ and the phrases ‘primitive culture’. The German Protestant Quakers I shared this reflection in a local magazine more than a few miles away from his used the word ‘culture’ but he included the some time ago and, following the ecocell home for around six months. And during word ‘civilisation’ as well. two day on travel in January, I would like this time he slowly began to appreciate to share it with Green Christan readers. the beauty of his surroundings – It re minds me of a thought I had that in our sometimes in the most unexpected modern world we need to think about LIFE We had become close friends with near places. He started to notice for the first STYLES. The western world is now a neighbours in Hackbridge, at the foot of time the lie of the land, the shape of function of life styles in our consumerist whose small garden runs the River roadways, the flow of a river, the wild culture. We do not have class any more; we Wa ndle. places and so on. are divided by the levels of our life styles. Our financial wealth governs our life styles And so there we were – Jacqueline and I can very much empathise with this and the pressure to go up the life style me – rowing up and down this river – in experience. Before we left to set up home levels forces many into debt. the late afternoon sunshine, with the in Yorkshire seven years ago I had felt shade and light reflecting on the leaves of little connection with this physical place, We need to start to look at this and grade the overhanging branches and the surface considering it very much an anonymous life styles so we can work at leveling life of the water. On the opposite bank was outer London borough – convenient for styles so we can fairly re duce our impact on Wilderness Island, a haven of informal commuting but lacking in beauty. And it our earth. tangles of plants – trees and wildflowers – was only after returning that I began to which no doubt is the home to teeming look around me with clear eyes and see Have you ever had any thoughts about this? wildlife. the places which I had previously passed by unnoticed. Barbara Mark And it struck me that these local riches are freely available to us all. As many Perhaps there is something in this for readers will know, we have some lovely other folk too. Rather than ‘escaping’ our Dear Editor green spaces in this borough, an active towns for faraway places, it may be an Heritage Centre (at Carshalton Ponds), a interesting and surprising experience to On the 21st October 2012 I attended a nearby Ecology Centre, a recently ‘have a holiday at home’. To go deeper CAFOD Potato Day at Noddfa Retreat established Community Farm at the into the place – the land and – yes – House. While I was there Christian Ecology smallholdings (just near to where we meet many of the buildings which have been Link was staying there. This was an for Church each Sunday) and the Wa ndle constructed so well and which may have a excellent opportunity for me to learn about – whose history is described on the fascinating history. this organisation. I wasn’t aware of the Thames Wa ter website as follows: group beforehand and felt that the talk they And of course this is God’s place – just as gave us was very inspiring. As a young ‘Its location and steep gradient, which much as some far-off, more glamorous person myself I felt it was interesting to results in fast-flowing water, led to it holiday resort. In Colossians Ch 1 verses learn about the group and the environment becoming one of the hardest-working 16 - 17, Paul writes: ‘By him all things around us. I feel we have a responsibility to rivers in the world, with more than 94 were created’ and ‘In him all things hold keep God’s creation and to respect it. I mills along its 11-mile length. In 1086, the together’. God’s creation is everywhere – learnt that the idea of LOAF was formed by Domesday Book noted 13 mills. By the even in Wallington on a cold and rainy day! a member of Christian Ecology Link and year of Trafalgar in 1805, this number that the idea was very clever. CAFOD are had quadrupled to 12 calico works, nine So how about for your next holiday, try an now using the LOAF principles as part of flour mills, five snuff mills, five oil mills, adventure trip around your local their new campaign known as Hungry for three bleaching grounds, two dye-works, landscape – remember your heritage, Change. LOAF re presents Locally produced, and one each of paper mills, skinning glory in your surroundings within a few Organically grown, Animal friendly and Fairly mills, logwood mills, copper mills and miles radius of your home ... and think of traded food. All these things will make our breweries’. how much you save in terms of money, world a better place. I would like to thank stress ... and carbon emissions! CEL members for their inspiring words. I recall reading several years ago of a man who made the decision not to travel George Dow Amy Davies

26 Green Christian – Issue 75 – Summer 2013 PRAYER

We had been people who ‘go’; we heard an invitation to ‘come’. But there is more than that. When we respond we find that in fact God comes to us. ‘I have come that you might have life’. The kingdom of heaven has come near – and even nearer than that:

Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, “Here it is,” or “There it is,” because the kingdom of God is in your midst.’ (Luke 17.20-21)

When we see with the telescopic perspective of Jesus, the whole world becomes my neighbour. Then we can take the advice offered by St Romuald to his novices: ‘Sit like a chick, eating nothing and tasting nothing but what its mother brings to it’. That is the Prayerscript essence of ‘local living’. God of journey, our hearts are restless until they rest in you. Paul Bodenham led prayers at the end of the ecocell day on travel Give us courage:

not to search the nations for our Towards the end of his life, that taciturn Thomas has a warning for us. Even a desire, priest-poet R S Thomas moved to slow God can be a delusion. Any God but to let the Desire of Nations find Aberdaron, at the very end of the Llŷn who is ‘plain and out there’ will give us a a home in us Peninsula. From there, it’s a short and wild goose chase. Come Lord Jesus tricky crossing to Bardsey. For Thomas the ‘Island of a Thousand Saints’ held So it is with salvation history. In the not to choose the no-strings the lure of the beyond, as it did for beginning the people heard God say anonymity of the stranger, seekers of a pre-modern age. In his ‘Go’, and they went. Seeking their but the risk and reward of becoming poem Pilgrimages he follows in their destiny, they roamed far and wide, a neighbour steps, but asks: throughout the Near East, to the ‘land Come Lord Jesus of milk and honey’, and, by turns, into … Am I too late? exile and dispersion. not to go looking for such life as we Were they too late also, those can afford, first pilgrims? He is such a fast Then in Jesus, God said not ‘Go’ but but to receive as much as life we God, always before us and ‘Come’: come, follow me; come to me dare leaving as we arrive. with your burdens; come through me to Come Lord Jesus the Father. When Jesus did tell people … Was the pilgrimage to go somewhere, it was usually home not to go and acquire I made to come to my own – once they had been healed and but to stay put and be enriched self, to learn that in times restored to their full humanity. Come Lord Jesus. like these and for one like me God will never be plain and In Christ our goings are turned to Give us the courage to say with our out there, but dark rather and comings. The impulse to roam gives lips inexplicable, as though he were in way to the invitation to belong. As the and in the choices of our lives here? prodigal son discovered, our conversion Come Lord Jesus. is to homecoming. From Jesus’ lips, n The Green movement stands for slow the only ‘Go’ without apparent travel, slow food and slow consumption. homecoming is into the world to preach We might say with some justification the gospel to all creation (Mark 16) – that we confess a ‘slow God’. But R S the greatest homecoming of all.

www.greenchristian.org.uk 27 AA RETREATRETREAT atat RingsfieldRingsfield Hall,Hall, SuffolkSuffolk FridayFriday 1818 -- SundaySunday 2020 OctoberOctober 20132013

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