Judith Russenberger

Advent 20: What is the message?

Not all signs are easy to interpret or understand. Sometimes they may invite us to ponder. Sometimes they may invite us to think about who the creator might have been, and what inspired – or angered – them?

Often graffiti is found in inaccessible places, or at places on the margins. Does our society push some messages aside, keeping their authors at a distance? Many of the prophets of the Old Testament found that their messages were unwanted.

Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear. Jeremiah 5:21

That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. Matthew 13:13

Advent 19: mixed media

Some messages are more noticeable when displayed using unusual mediums. This one is knitted!

The prophets of the Old Testament used this technique of unusual media to convey God’s messages. Jeremiah bought a brand new loincloth which he deliberately buried so that it was irreparably ruined: a sign of what would happen to the people if they refused to listen to God. Hosea married a prostitute as a sign that even if God’s people followed other gods, God would still love them and forgive them.

Then the LORD said to me, “Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and offer raisin cakes to idols.” Hosea 3:1

Advent 18: a sign of intent

Some signs signify where we stand on an issue. This one shows my commitment to protect the environment by pledging not to fly.

The CND sign has been widely displayed by those who wish to declare their stand against the use of nuclear weapons, and the dove by those campaigning for peace. Whilst new to the block is the Extinction Rebellion sign used by those highlighting concerns about the climate crisis.

In Genesis we read of a rainbow that was set in the sky as a sign of God’s intention to protect the earth by promising not to let it be destroyed by floods. Later , both in Isaiah and the Gospel of Luke, we hear of God’s intention to stand by and save his people.

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:13

Today in the city of David a Saviour has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. Luke 2:11-12

Advent 17: under repair

At some point in our lives we are bound to find times when our health – whether physical, mental or spiritual – is in need of repair. Times when we are in need of love and healing; time to recuperate so that we can once more continue our journey revitalised. Sometimes our need for healing may be obvious to us. At other times we may need others to point out the warning signs.

God renews our hopes and heals our bodies. Psalm 147:3

You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way. Psalm 18:36

Advent 16: child’s play

Children, when playing, may be so absorbed in their play that they don’t always think about oncoming traffic. Hence this warning sign. But perhaps it is also a warning to us who feel over whelmed by life’s stresses. When did you last allow yourself the chance to play? When were you last so absorbed in a game as to be oblivious to the pressures of life? Play is good for you!

I promise you that you cannot get into God’s kingdom, unless you accept it the way a child does.” Mark 10:15

The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there. Zechariah 8:5

Advent 3

15th December 2024

Reflection with readings below

This weekend there was an item in the Guardian newspaper debating whether vibes – that hazy, unsubstantive, often populist, gut feeling – plays a bigger role than solid, definable facts in determine how we shop, what jobs we choose, how we react to the news or to crises, how we vote.

“We are in the grip of “a crisis of seriousness”, writes cultural critic Ted Gioia. We behave like fractious toddlers, judging the world on whether it makes us smile. We care less for good over evil than for feelgood over everything else. We expect entertainment not just from the entertainment industry, but from politicians too, and politicians have fallen in line, feeding us election campaigns sugared with TikTok memes and merch.”

The first reading comes from the prophet Zephaniah. Zephaniah lived in the reign of king Josiah and was a contemporary of Jeremiah. At that time the northern kingdom of Israel had already been overrun by the Assyrian empire and most of its people have been deported to other parts of the world – although some had made it to safety of Judah. There was widespread practice of alien cults including those of Baal and Astarte. Political power globally was in flux, the Scythian empire was pressing in from the north, the Babylonian empire was in its ascendancy, and Egypt in the south was still a force to be reckoned with.

What was the future for a people and a nation who believed in Yahweh? Who was going to be the dominant force in their lives? Whose moral agenda would prevail? To whom would they end up paying allegiance? Would they be unwilling occupants of another land, or oppressed residents in their own cities? It must have been a time of uncertainty. Were their responses shaped by vibes or facts? By fears or certainties? By apathy or confidence?

In steps Zephaniah. “Shout aloud!” says Zephaniah. “Rejoice! Exult with all your heart!” Why? Because God is with you, because God has not abandoned you. Because God assures you that a better world is possible. God will renew you with love! God will save the lame – there will be healing for all whose lives have been damaged. God will provide a welcome for all who have been cast out. God will restore those whose self image has been shamed.

I think God, through Zephaniah, is challenging the people not to be swept along by popular and transient vibes, or by self-fulfilling fear mongering. Rather God wants to restore in the people a sense of self worth that comes from knowing God, to restore a confidence in them that they should continue to do what was right, to rebuild a sense of community that would see them through difficult times, and to remind them that ultimately it is God alone who has their well-being at heart.

Paul in his letter to the community at Philippi also encourages his listeners to “Rejoice!” And again to “Rejoice!” Their rejoicing should because God is near at hand, because God’s peace enfolds them, and because they can let their hearts and minds be shaped by Jesus Christ. Again it is not popular culture or the current whim or fad, but the experience and knowledge of Jesus Christ that is our best mentor as we continue to live in what can, at times, still be a troubled world.

Jesus is the Good News. Jesus – who came to Bethlehem that first Christmas, who came to the River Jordan where John was baptising, who still comes into our lives and into our world today – is the one whose judgment will enable us to be agents of a better world, of the heavenly ordered world that God envisages.

So, “Rejoice!” Live as gospel people. Live lives shaped by the enduring will of God. Be strong in the face of worldly fads and insubstantial popular vibes.

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel!

Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!

The Lord has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.

The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.

On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:

Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.

The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;

he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing
as on a day of festival.

I will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear reproach for it.

I will deal with all your oppressors
at that time.

And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,

and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.

At that time I will bring you home,
at the time when I gather you;

for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,

when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes, says the Lord.

Canticle The First Song of Isaiah

Isaiah 12:2-6

Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and not be afraid.

For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defence, *
and he will be my Saviour.

Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
from the springs of salvation.

And on that day you shall say, *
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;

Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
see that they remember that his Name is exalted.

Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *
and this is known in all the world.

Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Luke 3:7-18

John said to the crowds that came out to be baptised by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptised, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptise you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

Green Tau: issue 100

14th December 2024

How we can make a just transition? Agriculture and land use

Approximately 12% (58MtCO2 as of 2020) of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions come from farming but of that 10% more than half is methane from livestock and a further 30% is nitrous oxides from fertilisers (1). As the UK moves to a net zero economy, it is obvious that emissions from agriculture need to be reduced – the Climate Change Committee’s target is 21 MtCO2 by 2050. (Agriculture – including deliberate none cultivation of the land – offers opportunities to increase natural carbon absorption which should more than offset this remaining 21Mt of CO2).

The Climate Change Committee which draws up carbon budgets and roadmaps to advise the Government as to the means by which net zero targets can be achieved, recommended in its 2020 report Land use: Policies for a Net Zero UK, the following policy proposals:

Increase tree planting – increasing UK forestry cover from 13% to at least 17% by 2050 by planting around 30,000 hectares (90 – 120 million trees) of broadleaf and conifer woodland each year.
Encourage low-carbon farming practices – such as ‘controlled-release’ fertilisers, improving livestock health and slurry acidification.
Restore peatlands – restoring at least 50% of upland peat and 25% of lowland peat.
Encourage bioenergy crops – expanding UK energy crops to around 23,000 hectares each year.
Reduce food waste and consumption of the most carbon-intensive foods – reduce the 13.6 million tonnes of food waste produced annually by 20% and the consumption of beef, lamb and dairy by at least 20% per person, well within current healthy eating guidelines. (2)

In the summer of this year, 2024, the Climate Change Committee’s report on progress found that reducing emissions from agriculture and land use had slowed and that ‘total emissions from agriculture have not significantly decreased since 2008’! (3) Commenting on the Report, ADAS notes “A key CCC recommendation is that tree planting and peatland restoration must be accelerated. Under the CCC pathways to net zero, tree planting must be scaled up in the 2020s in order for abatement (carbon sequestration and storage) to be sufficient to meet later carbon budgets and reach net zero by 2050. This will require a doubling of current rates to get as close as possible to the targets of 30,000ha of new woodland creation per year by 2025 and 32,000ha of peatland restoration a year by 2026.” (4) As regards reducing livestock levels, whilst figures previously showed a decline, this seems to have plateaued, suggesting further focus here is needed.

Whether through converting more arable or grass lands to woodland, restoring peatlands or by reducing livestock numbers, the farming world is going to have to face ongoing change.

The demands of climate change, go beyond just reducing carbon emissions, and include further action in protecting land, properties and lifestyles from the impacts of increasingly adverse weather conditions and rising sea levels. Again referencing the latest CCC report ADAS notes “This latest CCC report comes after the wettest 18 months on record in England. Farmers and land managers have been among the most affected with thousands of acres of farmland flooded, crop yields down and harvesting delayed, as well as knock-on impacts into this season and likely longer-term.

“The impacts of this record rainfall highlight the urgent need to adapt to the physical risks of climate change, to avoid more costly and less effective adaptations further down the line. The CCC reports that currently the UK’s Third National Adaption programme (NAP3) lacks the ambition and pace to address the scale of climate risks we are already experiencing in the UK”. (6)

Under the terms of the Climate Change Act 2008 the UK is required to produce ‘national adaptation plans’ setting out how the government will protect the country from the impacts of climate change by constructing flood defences, developing green spaces, cultivating drought-resistant crops, and building resilient infrastructure etc. NAP3 covers the period 2023 to 2028. To date most commentators note that the provisions made by NAP3 are inadequate, but clearly they will impact on the farming world whether through more farmland suffering the adverse consequences of droughts and floods, or through changing agricultural practices and changes to land use – eg restoring water meadows, planting more woodland and re-setting peatlands.

At the same time as the need to address climate change by transitioning to net zero, the UK also needs to address biodiversity loss which is another issue linked with the need for change in agricultural practices. As regards England (other parts of the UK have their own policies) the Parliament has noted that “the Environment Act 2021 … set legally binding biodiversity targets ….:

to reduce the risk of species going extinct in 2042, compared with 2022
to create or restore 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitats by 2042
to ensure overall species abundance is increasing rather than decreasing by 2030, and increases by 10% by 2042, compared with 2030”(5)

These are in addition to the UK’s commitment to meet the international Convention on Biological Diversity’s ‘30 by 30 target’ – vis achieving effective conservation and management of at least 30% of land and sea by 2030.

Again these are targets which are going to impact the farming world, through adopting less intensive farming techniques, and through the restoration – and expansion of – hedgerows, ponds, woods, peatlands and meadows etc.

Not all these changes are going to be self financing. It is possible that less intensive farming by reducing the amount – and therefore cost – of inputs such as fertilisers, may be cost neutral, but in most cases less intensive farming will only be financially viable if the end product can be sold to,the customer at an enhanced price. But weather restoring a pond in a field or rewetting peatland will be self financing is perhaps more doubtful. On the other hand the benefit to us as a whole will be significant – so may be we need to work out how we put a value on that benefit and how we work out who pays and how.

It seems to me that we need a conversation that allows farmers and consumers to explore what the options are and how the transition to climate and biodiversity friendly farming can be achieved. If farms are going to have less livestock, are we consumers going to eat less meat? If crops are grown less intensively, are we consumers willing to pay more? And is the government going to ensure that wages and benefits increase commensurately? If farmers are to convert grazing land to woodlands, are we as tax payers, willing to pay for loss of income? Might we instead see the cost as the cost of protecting our homes from flooding? Might those with the resources (financial and volunteering capacity) be willing to purchase farmland with the aim of rewilding it? Will the government provide funds to encourage new rural industries that would provide employment and maintain or reinvigorate rural communities?

We certainly need to have these conversations urgently to ensure both a just transition and to protect our climate and environment for the wellbeing of current and future generations to come. The next five years look as if they are increasingly going to be when decisive action (not just plans) happens.

(3) https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/progress-in-reducing-emissions-2024-report-to-parliament/

(4) https://adas.co.uk/news/credible-plans-and-actions-urgently-needed-to-decarbonise-uk-agriculture-sector/

(5) https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/biodiversity-loss-uk-international-obligations/

(6) https://adas.co.uk/news/credible-plans-and-actions-urgently-needed-to-decarbonise-uk-agriculture-sector/

Advent 14: a passing place

A passing place is there to allow two travellers going in opposite directions to pass. It is a road feature that enables cooperation. It is not there to be used as a lay-by or parking space – to do that would be selfish. In the story of Exodus we hear how a cleft in a rock is used as a passing place so that God in dazzling glory can pass by Moses – Exodus 33:21-23

Making room for others to pass, especially when there are obstructions, when people are going at different speeds, or when places are simply too crowded, makes it easier for everyone to move in the right direction.

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:4-5

Advent 13: No entry

Sometimes our journey through life hits a brick wall. The way we wanted to go is closed before us. What bars our way ahead may be of our own making, it may be of someone else’s making or it may be a purely random event. Somehow we have to cope with disappointment and move on by a different route. If we can do so and still smile, so much the better.

I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:12-13

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9