Author: Judith Russenberger

Environmentalist and theologian, with husband and three grown up children plus one cat, living in London SW14. I enjoy running and drinking coffee - ideally with a friend or a book.

For all our brothers and sisters – in thanksgiving for the life and teachings of Pope Francis

26th April 2025

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40 

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading from Isaiah 58:6-11

Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.

Prayer of Pope Francis

All-powerful God,

you are present in the whole universe

and in the smallest of your creatures.

You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.

Pour out upon us the power of your love,

that we may protect life and beauty.

Fill us with peace, that we may live

as brothers and sisters, harming no one.

O God of the poor,

help us to rescue the abandoned

and forgotten of this earth,

so precious in your eyes.

Bring healing to our lives,

that we may protect the world and not prey on it,

that we may sow beauty,

not pollution and destruction.

Touch the hearts

of those who look only for gain

at the expense of the poor and the earth.

Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,

to be filled with awe and contemplation,

to recognise that we are profoundly united

with every creature

as we journey towards your infinite light.

We thank you for being with us each day.

Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle

for justice, love and peace.

Amen.

Counting on … Day 49

25th April 2025

Today is World Penguin Day! (1)

Penguins “are critical players in maintaining the health and balance of both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. In essence, the purpose of penguins is multifaceted: they act as nutrient transporters, keystone species, and indicators of environmental health. They contribute significantly to biodiversity, and their presence or absence tells a crucial story about the overall health of our oceans and planet.” (2) 

Can I recommend Penguin Lessons? Both the book by Tom Michell and the film inspired by the book? 

(1) https://www.penguinsinternational.org/worldpenguinday/

(2) https://enviroliteracy.org/what-is-the-purpose-of-penguins-on-earth/

Counting on … Day 48

24th April 2025

Domestic animals also encompasses life stock – cows, sheep, pigs, hens etc. When we see prepared dairy produce or meat on sale in shops or restaurants, it is easy to forget or ignore the welfare of the animal that has provided this food. Ethical Consumer regularly produces research on this topic so that we as consumers can make informed choices.

https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/food-drink/animal-rights-food-industry
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/food-drink/climate-action-10-steps-cut-down-meat-dairy

Counting on … Day 47

23rd April 2025

Today is St George’s Day. Amongst other things, this saint is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers being a group of saints venerated for the benefit of their prayers vis a vis different diseases. St George is one who protects the health of domestic animals.

Pets in particular can be very important in giving us joy and companionship and a sense of purpose. They can also teach us about the importance of trust and not overthinking! Our relationship with our pets should be reciprocal, giving and receiving – and we both in our lifestyles should be mindful of our relationships with the rest of creation. Neither we nor our pets should be indiscriminate or  thoughtless      as users of the Earth’s resources.

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-be-eco-friendly-pet-owner

Counting on … Day 46

22nd April 2025

Today is Earth Day.

Earth Day was first observed in 1970. The Earth Day organisation aims to “broaden, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide.” Each year has its own theme; this year’s is entitled “Our Power, Our Planet” and is a call to expand renewable energy so as to triple clean electricity by 2030. 

The Earth Day organisation has a fact sheet and a petition:-

“We call on global leaders to commit to:

  • Tripling renewable energy generation by 2030: Advancing clean energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal, tidal and hydropower. This ambitious target supports global climate goals set out in the Paris Agreement, opened for signatures on Earth Day 2016.
  • Cutting greenhouse gas emissions: Rapidly transitioning to renewable energy is the key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fighting climate change and lowering energy prices for everyone.
  • Phasing out fossil fuels: The renewable energy sector has taken off globally but the world is still producing more CO2 than ever before because of our over reliance on fossil fuels. This needs to end with meaningful policies supporting the rapid growth of renewable energy and energy efficiency. The world economy must favor renewable energy, ensuring that the “beginning of the end” of fossil fuels is realized. 
  • Investing in clean energy infrastructure: In 2022 the fossil fuel industry was subsidized globally to the tune of $7 trillion. We must realign these subsidies to support the growth of desperately needed renewable energy, including infrastructure to accelerate the transition. We need smart grids, new high voltage transmission lines, local distribution networks and long term battery storage. This will drive economic, environmental, and energy security benefits.

This will pave the way to: 

  • Providing affordable, sustainable power for everyone. Bringing electricity to homes, schools and hospitals worldwide, and ensuring energy access and equity for all. 
  • Creating millions of new jobs in the energy industry. Driving economic growth globally.
  • Prioritizing health and health equity by reducing fossil fuel induced pollution and improving air and water quality. Shifting away from fossil fuels will protect human health worldwide 

The transition to renewable energy is about creating a future where everyone can thrive. Let’s use the power of the Earth Day network and our global movement to demand urgent action from governments, businesses, and communities around the world.

This petition will be presented to the United Nation’s leadership and delegates at the UNFCCC Conference of Parties 30 (COP 30) in November 2025.”

Petition:- https://action.earthday.org/our-power-our-planet-renewable-energy-petition




Easter Thoughts 

20th April 2025

If each day we are called to walk just that day’s journey with the cross (see Good Friday’s reflection*), then Easter Day is the day we remember and celebrate that we do not walk alone. That Jesus is with us , that Jesus has been there before us, has been where it is dark and constricted, has felt abandoned, has fought with demons, and has come through victorious. And as we are told in the Gospels, Jesus goes on ahead before us.

My mother is currently recovering from the after effects of delirium, and at times she has difficulty rationalising her thoughts, and at others difficulty in preventing her mind from overthinking problems. One thing in particular that she struggles with is time. Nothing around her seems to change. She wakes up in the same bedroom, the same books and cards on the window sill, the same clothes hanging on the hook – even the same orange she hasn’t yet eaten. Is this a new day or is it still the same day when she went to sleep? How can she tell whether time has passed if nothing has changed? 

That is sometimes how I feel about Easter. Every year we celebrate Easter, celebrating that Jesus has risen from the dead, that through the resurrection we are raised to new life, that this is the beginning of the new age – Easter is the eighth day. But does anything change? Is life suddenly better now Easter Day has dawned? Are people suddenly kinder and more loving, living the new resurrection life? 

Did anything change that first Easter morning? Did the Roman soldiers and tax gathers, suddenly up-sticks  and depart? Did the temple authorities suddenly down tools and invite everyone into the temple to worship God without hindrance? Did people suddenly look and see their neighbour’s poverty and share all they had? 

And yet something did change, gradually, step by step. People began to experience Jesus’s presence in new ways. People did form new communities where they made welcome those who would have previously been rejected. People did take Jesus’s gospel and preach the good news far and wide. And throughout history we have seen people – people who have been inspired by Jesus – do amazing things: working for justice, working for peace, working to overcome poverty, working to protect the earth, sacrificing their own lives for others.

When the Israelites ate the first Passover meal, hurriedly escaped from the narrow place that was slavery under the oppressive power of the pharaoh, and reached the relative safety of the far shore of the Red Sea, they sang and danced and praised God. And they were instructed to mark that event every year, eating a special meal and remembering the events of that night. That celebrating and remembering has continued year in year out – through good times and bad – as a way of marking time even when it seems that nothing is changing, and reminding themselves that God is and will always be with them.

When we work through Lent, when we  re-enact the events of Holy Week, when we celebrate Easter, we are in part remembering the Passover – the power and wisdom of God that enables people to escape the constrictions of narrow places and to find freedom – but we are most particularly remembering that Jesus – who is also God – has walked this way before us. That Jesus – who is also God – knows what it is to be human, to have limited amounts of energy and strength. That Jesus – who is also God – has experienced that one thing we fear most – death – and has the personal experience to assure is that it is not the end. That Jesus – because he is also God, promises to be with us always and everywhere. 

And even if it doesn’t feel as if anything has changed since last year, we celebrate Easter as a way of marking time and that God is still and will always be with us. And if we look and take note, we will see that there are always signs of new life around us. The world that the creator God has given us is a gift that keeps on giving. 

This year I despaired that the vine that had given us so much fruit over the years, had died; the crinkled branches with peeling bark remained bare, no sign of life despite the wealth of spring flowers in the rest of the garden. I resigned myself to the task of buying a new plant. Then just this week I noticed the first small green shoots bursting through the old bark! 

Christ is risen!” – “He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

* https://greentau.org/2025/04/18/good-friday-thoughts/

Good Friday Thoughts

18th April 2025

see also last year’s reflection- https://greentau.org/2024/03/29/prayers-for-creation-good-friday/

During Holy Week, but especially so on Good Friday, we are encouraged to ‘walk in the way of the cross, sharing its weight.’ 

Where does the way of the cross begin? Is it, as in the experience of Bilbo and Frodo, that endless road that passes by your front door? You’re not sure where the road started nor or you  sure where it is going, but once you set out on it, it takes you with it. For Jesus, did the way start in the synagogue in Nazareth? There he opens the scroll and reads:

‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
        to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
        to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’

Jesus knows this is his destiny. This is the road he must travel, bringing the good news to the poor. Yet this proclamation comes from the writing of Isaiah. It is a road that that was already marked out as way travel some five centuries before. And even them it was echoing a message already contained in the Pentateuch. It is perhaps a road that back to the beginning of time.

So when we are invited to ‘walk in the way of the cross’, we are stepping out onto a road that stretches way, way back in time. But it is perhaps a road that is most clearly visible to us during that time when Jesus travelled back and forth between Galilee and Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news to the poor, to the captive, to the sick and to the oppressed. To proclaim that message Jesus had to be aware of those who were poor, captive, sick and oppressed. He had to find ways of getting along side them, ways of listening to and understanding them. 

So if we are called to follow the way of the cross, we too are invited to be aware of, to be alongside, to listen to and understand those who are poor, captive, sick and oppressed. We are called to be aware of the pain, suffering and injustice that exists in the world, and not to shy away from it. And as Jesus did, we will find opportunities when we can show genuine love and compassion. And we will find opportunities when we can transform situations. And as Jesus did, we will find ways of speaking out, of telling the truth to power, of challenging injustice, of pinpointing that which oppresses – both individuals and systems.

And sometimes and for some people, the road may lead into dark and dangerous places.   Jesus’s last – long – night in the garden of Gethsemane and in the courts of those who  imprisoned him, can make for tough but empathetic reading. 

But we may not feel we have the strength that Jesus had. We may question whether we can ceaselessly absorb the pain of  even just paying attention to the pain and suffering of the world in which we live. Like Peter, and the other disciples, we may want to hang back, run away, hide in an upstairs room.

The way of the cross is undoubtably not easy, not straightforward. But if we recall how Jesus walked it, he did take time out to be alone with God, going into the wild parts of the natural world. He did take time out to be alone with his companions. He did take time out to relax and share meals with friends. He did accept that he couldn’t heal each and every person, but knew that the message he had was the means of creating an expanding chain of events that was the process of heralding in the kingdom – the rule and reign – of God, that will bring healing, peace and justice for everyone.

The way of the cross is the way of faith. It is, I believe, about walking each day just that day’s journey – whether it is that day about the care of the poor or about rest and regeneration. It is, I believe, about walking each day trusting that God knows better than I how far I can walk and what I can achieve. It is, I believe, about trusting that – come what may vis a vis human wilfulness and wickedness – God’s mercy is ever present and everlasting. And it is trusting in the journey even if we cannot see what comes next or even where we may end up. It was that trust that carried Jesus through his journey and will do so for each of us.

Bread

A poem on Maundy Thursday, 17th April 2025

Bread 

the essential of life:

Toast for breakfast,

Sandwich for lunch – 

and, if dainty, afternoon tea too.

A get-me-through the morning 

or quick late night snack- 

croissant and bagels, 

doughnut or pretzels.

A shape for every occasion.

Elaborate or mundane, 

Common place or prized,

Unknowingly irreplaceable.

Good bread is true bread

Stone ground and hand kneaded,

Proved and cosseted.

Freshly baked, a yeasty aroma.

Crunchy bite , soft crumb,

a mouth-filling taste.

White or brown –

always a whole meal.

The bread of life –

no life without it!

Blessed and shared – 

round a table, round an altar. 

Eaten with family, 

with friends and with strangers,

all now are ‘com pane ‘ – 

with-bread-companions.

Broken and shared, 

for those in need 

and those who are needy –

the coming together as those in communion.

The bread of life 

is life-long life. 

Risen and resurrected

Lived and loved 

and lived again.

This is the bread of eternity. 

Counting on … Lent 32

17th April 2025

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Ps 96: 11-12

The world – God’s unique creation – should be a prompt for praise and celebration. Where we see shortcomings, let us acknowledge our failings, seek forgiveness and reconciliation, and once again rejoice in God’s glory. 

Counting on … Lent 31

16th April 2025 

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20

St Paul reminds us that God’s wisdom is writ clear and large in the world that God has created. It is to our detriment if we overlook that so-visible source of truth.