Associate Minster's update letter

Caring for the Planet

One of the things I am deeply concerned about is what we are doing to the environment and especially what kind of world we are leaving to our children and grandchildren. Four years ago I took a three month sabbatical and began by asking the question: ‘Did God really intend for us to become so reliant on fossil fuel that we are soon going to run out and in the meantime ruin the balance of nature?’  If the answer is ‘No’ then when did we go wrong and what can we do about it now?  If anyone has any thoughts I’d be very glad to discuss the issues with you. 

Asking a question is one thing but to get anywhere with finding an answer is much more difficult.  To make the most of my sabbatical I had to do something practical.  I tried to explore how Christians can use church buildings to generate renewable energy and be at the forefront of developing a carbon neutral future.  I visited various projects using solar panels and wind turbines to see how realistic they are in practice.  My own secret pipe dream is to see solar panels on all south facing church roofs – even though aesthetic and economic reasons put it out of reach in most cases. 

So much has happened in this field over these last 4 years and we are all much more aware of the need to reduce our carbon footprint.  The easy things like recycling are now intrinsic parts of our thinking but the harder issues like not using fossil fuel for transport are out of reach.  My own experiment with an electric bike is a great way to get around – but does depend on good weather!  It doesn’t take more than a hint of rain in the forecast or being short of time to get me back in the car.

 Instead of churches lagging behind we need to be at the forefront of developing a greener future.  It is easy to get cynical and feel that small changes are not going to make a difference but every act of caring for God’s creation – turning off a light bulb, offering a lift, picking up someone else’s litter – is an act of worship.  Let us cherish the earth and honouring our creator in all we do.

Christopher