3rd April 2022
Nature is good for us. Being out in nature, taking note of the natural world around us help us maintain a sense of proportion. The Conversation recently posted this article suggesting five short walks to help us address our climate crisis fears.
3rd April 2022
Isaiah 43:16-21
Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
who brings out chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honour me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.
Psalm 126
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, *
then were we like those who dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *
and our tongue with shouts of joy.
3 Then they said among the nations, *
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
4 The Lord has done great things for us, *
and we are glad indeed.
5 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, *
like the watercourses of the Negev.
6 Those who sowed with tears *
will reap with songs of joy.
7 Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, *
will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.
Philippians 3:4b-14
If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
John 12:1-8
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
Reflection
The passage from Isaiah tells us that war and military strength are not the solution to problems in the kingdom of God. They are not solutions that bring in God’s reign. God’s way is new, is different, says the prophet. Perhaps not new to God but new to humans who are slow to perceive it! Wake up humans! God’s way inhabits the natural world, creating what is needed for life – water in dry areas, paths where it’s rough, things that bring life to creatures and people alike. The psalmist knows that when we recognise these occasions of restoration and transformation – those occasions when we align our ways with God’s ways – they will be times of joy and laughter and flourishing.
How is it that we can seem to slip in and out of God’s kingdom, or more accurately, in and out of being aligned with God’s reign, God’s way?
Paul in his letter to the Christians in Philippi, recalls how in the past he had closely cherished his Jewish heritage and assiduously followed its practices which he had been taught would keep him in alignment with God. But all that guarantee he has now forgone having found something even better: the life he knows through Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ brings resurrection – and resurrection means new life, means a new way of experiencing life, means a new way of living. It is a life not limited to this world and our mortal time frame.
The story related In John’s Gospel takes place on the eve of Palm Sunday, on the eve of the most momentous week. Jesus, in John’s gospel, is a figure confident of his own destiny, who sees and understands how that destiny is going to pan out. Jesus has already raised Lazarus from the dead; Jesus has declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die”. This is the eve of the week in which Jesus will ride publicly in to Jerusalem; in which he will continue to declare his message that he is the light of the world; that through belief in him, people will have eternal life – new life which is not of this world; that he will be raised up for all to see in what will be his culminating hour of glory. It is a week that will end with his burial.
In the scene John depicts, there are two contrari protagonists. On the one hand Mary who it seems understands how this week will unfold, and Judas who it seems is either oblivious, or wilfully ignoring, what the state of play. Mary recognises the importance of what is going to happen and pours out this expensive ointment as her best acknowledgement of who Jesus is and of what he represents. It is her expression of adoration and love. It witnesses to her belief that what is to come will be worth so much more than this perfume. Judas, on the other hand, just wants to come across as the good guy – the one standing up for the poor. What Judas has failed to understand is that what the poor need is not just extra alms now, but system change.
“I am the way and the truth and the life”: Jesus is the true system change.
System change is what the world still needs. In the UK where an increasing number of people are facing poverty, what is needed is not just increased benefits, but a system change in which everyone is awarded a wage on which they can genuinely live, in which goods are produced and sold at a price that reflect their true cost, in which animals reared as food are given genuinely good lives, in which taxes paid genuinely reflect the person/ company’s ability to pay, in which the real cost of fossil fuels is recognised and in which economic policies really do focus on zero carbon emissions.
System change is about aligning the world’s systems to God’s ways – not just some of the time, but all of the time!
2nd April 2022
Why not use your window, gate post, car windscreen to host a poster to support the demand for action to address the climate crisis? It may spark interesting conversations; it may give others like you the feeling of solidarity; it will demonstrate how widespread is the concern.
XR has various posters – https://extinctionrebellion.uk/act-now/resources/art-group/ – but equally you might want to find other sources on line or create your own.
2nd April 2022
The blackthorn – prunus spinoza- is native to Britain, grows to a height of 5-7m and has a life span of about 100 years. It has a dense mass of spiny branches that make it a good hedging plant and provides a safe nesting place for wildlife. Its white flowers come in the early spring before its leaves appear. Hedges white with blossom in a cold spring give rise to the term ‘blackthorn winter.’ These early blooms provide food for bees and other insects. The leaves provide food for numerous moth caterpillars, and both caterpillars and later the blackthorn’s fruit – sloes – provide food for birds and small mammals. Sloes look like a small plum but are hard and have a very sour taste – yet they make a good flavour for gin. The blackthorn wood is hard wearing and strong and traditionally used for walking sticks and tool handles.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4: 31-32
Let’s build bridges, not walls. Martin Luther King Jn
1st April 2022
The elder tree – sambucus niger – is often more a bush than a tree. It can grow to a height of 15m and has a life span of some 20 years. Its flowers provide nectar for many insects, its leaves food for caterpillars, and its fruit food for birds and small mammals. The flowers are fragrant and used to flavour cordials, whilst the fruit which is rich in vitamin C can be used for jellies, fruits pies, cordials and wine making.
The elder’s name may come from the Anglo Saxon “aeld” meaning fire. Its hollow stems were used to blow air into the heart of a fire to kindle it. The soft wood is easy to whittle.
They said to one another, ‘We’re not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he opened the scriptures to us?’ Luke 24:32
Contemplation is nothing else but a secret, peaceful and loving infusion of God, which, if admitted, will set the soul on fire with the Spirit of love.’ John of the Cross
Up date on the use of neonicotinoids that kill bees: Greenpeace has a petition requesting the Government to reinstate its ban: https://action.greenpeace.org.uk/e/854853/3vcTclL/xbxqy/630056084?h=CcRCux7bliXlWFOsJaeYBMq-Hy1tNLZFXNTfKsa7UOs
1st April 2022
‘Climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health. Any further delay in concerted anticipatory global action on adaptation and mitigation will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all’ – from February’s IPCC report.
The time is now and we need to take action. Earlier this month Extinction Rebellion wrote to the Government highlighting the situation: ‘Every day the UK government fails to act makes our common future more bleak, our prospects more terrifying.’ Extinction Rebellion is calling for an end of the fossil fuel economy and is inviting everyone to take part and join in the demonstrations taking place on 9th April.
31st March 2022
The acacia tree is a native of tropical and sub-tropical regions but grows in other cooler climes too. In Australia they are known as wattles. The acacia is part of the pea family and its small fragrant flowers produce podded seeds which are high in protein. The wood is often used for furniture and floorboards, whilst tannins from its bark can be used in making inks. Its resin can be used to make glue, including gum arabica. According to the Hebrew Scriptures the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant (which housed the tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments) were made of acacia wood – the latter covered in gold.
Acacia honey comes from bees that feed on the black locust or false acacia tree. NB the seeds of this latter tree are poisonous.
Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle. Exodus 40:34
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy making wise the simple… More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and the drippings of the honeycomb. Psalm 19:7,10
31st March 2022
This May, 5th, London’s local councils will be up for re-election. It is important that our local councillors know which things actually matter to us. The London Cycling Campaign has created an email letter to send to candidates asking them to prioritise various cycling matters that will create greener and pleasanter neighbourhoods. Richmond Council is already instigating many of these proposals but there is always scope for more if councillors feel it is something g we really want.
30th March 2022
The following Early Day Motion has been put forward by our local MP, Sarah Olney.
“That this House maintains an unwavering commitment to achieving net zero targets; acknowledges the urgent need to tackle high carbon emissions produced by homes across the UK; recognises the need for a comprehensive Government scheme to incentivise retrofitting to improve energy efficiency of homes and buildings; pledges that any future additional investment in energy production is directed to renewable sources of energy; extends the phasing out of Russian energy supply imports to include natural gas; and commits to making the transition away from Russian oil and gas a green one.”
Thank you Sarah!
The Green Tau 
