Judith Russenberger

Counting on … day 116

28th May 2024

As well as supporting organisations and charities, we also give emphasis by signing petitions. Sometimes this can be several a day, but I think it is worth it. It is a way of giving the organisation data as to how many people are concerned about or support an issue, which they can their use as evidence to pursue the campaign. By the same token I often write to our MP on topics of concern, prefacing that email with the observation that she probably gets many such messages/ probably supports the issue any way, but that it gives her another piece of evidence to support her work – ie she can with confidence tell the House that x number of her constituents have raised the issue.

Counting on … day 115

27th May 2024

Living more sustainably has also become about campaigning to create a sustainable world for everyone. This we do through supporting charities and organisations that operate in this field

– such as the RSPB, WWT and National Trust – which aim to conserve and improve the natural environment and biodiversity because such environments are key to sustainability;

– such as the London Cycling Campaign and Sustrans which focus on particular issues within sustainability- vis active travel;

– such as Friends of the Earth which both campaign and develop educational resources for living sustainably;

– such as Practical Action and Christian Aid which campaign and give support to those who are suffering because of the current lack of justice and sustainability globally;

and Christian Climate Action Green Christian which bring the Christian ethic to campaigning.

Trinity Sunday

26th May 2024

Reflection with readings below

Rublev’s icon of the Holy Trinity is perhaps one of the most iconic images of the Trinity. The three figures – visitors who arrived at Abraham’s tent by the oaks of Mamre – represent the three persons of the Trinity. Each is individual but related and all form a circle about the chalice at the centre of the table. The colours of their robes and the positioning of their hands and faces suggests the different characteristics they bring to their united existence and how their patterns of behaviour interrelate.

(There are plenty of web sites that explore the theology of this icon – eg https://sacredheartpullman.org/documents/2017/8/Trinityicon.pdf)

At the time the icon was painted, the Holy Trinity was understood as being the embodiment of unity of spirit, peace, harmony, mutual love and humility.

The interrelated and interdependent and mutually enhancing character of the Holy Trinity is also to be found in the natural world that is the Trinity’s creation. All parts of creation are interrelated and interdependent and when working together, enhance the whole.

For example when the weather warms in the spring, butterfly eggs hatch into caterpillars, which grow fat on new green plant shoots. At the same time butterflies that have hibernated overwinter, wake and begin a new round of egg laying. The superfluity of caterpillars provides food for newly hatched blue tit chicks, ensuring the next generation. Feeding caterpillars to the young chicks additionally prevents the complete loss of the new spring plant growth! Birds, insects, plants and the seasonal changes in temperature and rainfall work in harmony for the thriving of the ecosystem. This beautiful dance reflects the nature of our trinitarian God.

We humans are as dependent on the smooth progress of this dance as any other creature. Without insects to pollinate crops, we would have a severely restricted diet – no fruit, no peas and beans, courgettes or tomatoes. Without the right amounts of sun and rain in due season, we face hunger as crops sown will not flourish and indeed may fail altogether – something we are seeing in the UK this year cereal crops.

Yet we humans are deliberately damaging our environment. We are pouring pollution into the seas and water ways. We are spraying crops with insecticides that wantonly kill of all manner of creatures – birds as well as insects. We are burning carbon fuels and releasing more and mo greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, warming the atmosphere at a disastrous rate. We are taking the goodness out of the soil reducing its fertility. We’re cutting down forests and replacing natural biodiversity with monocultures of crops and livestock, exacerbating the loss of ground water and nutrients and accelerating climate change.

We fail to see ourselves as part of creation. We are not living in harmony with all our brothers and sisters of creation – and that means we are not living in harmony with the will of God.

We have sinned and fallen short. We need to cry out to God, who is both our parent and the parent of all creation, asking for healing and mercy. We need to ask forgiveness of all our brothers and sisters in creation and be willing to likewise offer forgiveness to all who have harmed our shared life. We need to hang onto the truth that Jesus came not to condemn but to save the world. And like Isaiah, we must be ready to speak the truth and to act in accordance with the will and desire of the Trinity, following their example of living in unity of spirit, peace, harmony, mutual love and humility.

This is not just an airy-fairy spiritual dream for our hour in church. It is a real demand and challenge that comes from God and which can find a genuine response in practical action. Here in the UK we are facing a general election. We can enquire of our candidates what their policies are vis a vis the environment, the climate, and human-made pollution. We can ask for a commitment that we see laws and policies being implemented that will ensure an economic system that respects and works in harmony with creation. Green Christian has put together a package of ideas, questions and templates in response to the general election. The Zero Hour website has details and plans for a Climate and Nature Bill addressing these issues about the care of the environment, and practical resources to help communities in every constituency engage with prospective candidates so that this Bill can become a reality in the next Parliament.

Ascribe to the divine Trinity the glory due their Name; worship their divine nature in the beauty of holiness.

Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

Psalm 29

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders; *
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.

4 The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *
the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendour.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;

6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *
and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *
and strips the forests bare.

9 And in the temple of the Lord *
all are crying, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *
the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.

11 The Lord shall give strength to his people; *
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

Romans 8:12-17

So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh– for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ– if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

John 3:1-17

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Pentecost-tide

25th May 2024

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Job 33:4

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 Job 38:4-7:

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.

Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?

On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone

when the morning stars sang together
and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?”

Response and reply:-

Lord, we should not cease to be amazed at the wonder of creation,

the diversity of colour, shape and size,

the ingenious adaptations of plants and animals,

the interconnectedness of all living things.

Then Job answered the Lord:

‘See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?

I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer;

twice, but will proceed no further.’ Job 40:3-5

Lord, we should not forget the immense timespan of creation,

the geological ages that have gone before us,

and the ages yet to come.

Forgive us when we exaggerate our importance,

when we claim knowledge we do not have

and when we exceed our competence.

But ask the animals, and they will teach you;
the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you;
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.

Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?

In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of every human being. Job 12:7-10, 13

Lord, teach us wisdom.

Give us humility to learn from others,

patience to observe what is true,

and contrition to make amends for our mistakes.

Show us how to find joy in simple things,

contentment with less,

and delight in companionship with all creation.

May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works—

who looks on the earth and it trembles,
who touches the mountains and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the Lord. Psalm 104: 31-34

Lord, may your creation flourish,

may we ever be thrilled by what we see,

uplifted by what we experience,

and delighted by what we can offer you.

The Grace.

Green Tau: Issue 90

24th May 2024

Profits part 2

Having written about what profits are and whether they are per se good, I have come across some news stories which point to the moral downside of pursuing profits.

Medicines

Is the profit motive a good way of determining which new medicines to develop or for which diseases to seek a cure? Should it be necessary to make a profit – as opposed to covering costs – in order to develop a medicine that will relieve suffering and/ or enable someone to live a more normal life?

And when a medicine has been developed, is it appropriate to sell it at a profit, knowing that this may be put it out of the reach of people whose health might otherwise be improved? Is it appropriate to charge a license fee for would be manufacturers in less affluent parts of the world?

Of course there is a cost in researching and developing new medicines and treatments – but how is that best paid for? Future profits or through taxation, allowing research to be seen as public service for the common good?

– https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/16/imagine-getting-life-saving-drugs-to-sick-people-without-relying-on-big-pharma-we-may-have-found-a-way?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Supermarkets

Supermarkets typically promote their business as selling best value foods – either as very cheap foods or as affordable but quality foods. But how benefits most from these low prices or who pays the cost of cheap food?

To ensure low prices, supermarkets utilise the benefits of economies of scale. This can exclude small traders from selling produce to them. It can cause particular complications for farmers if they struggle to grow enough of their crop that is of the right size, at the right time and in the right quantity. Failure may mean loosing the whole supermarket order: no sale, no payment.

Another way of ensuring low prices is to cut costs, especially labour costs which can mean cutting back on hourly rates or hours worked or staffing levels. This is usually to the detriment of the low paid workers rather than higher grade staff.

But where supermarkets are in fact primarily focused on profits, prices will be no lower than needed enough to maintain sales at levels that maximise profit. In this example profits rose by 159% whilst sales rose by just 7.4%.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/may/14/tesco-ceo-near-10m-pay-a-slap-in-the-face-for-struggling-workers-union-says?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Oil profits

Shell, like many oil companies has repeatedly made record profits – enhanced in part by the war between Russia and Ukraine. As consumers were forced to pay more and more for their energy bills, the government introduced a 35% windfall tax to recoup some of the unearned profits. The policy however allowed the oil companies to offset this tax to the tune of 91p for every pound they invested in fossil fuel extraction projects in the UK.

In 2023 Shell made profits of £22.3 billion and paid in tax £1.1 billion, including £240 million in relation to the windfall tax. This was the first time Shell had paid any taxes since 2017. As well as offsetting losses, Shell has also offset against tax, costs incurred in decommissioning North Sea platforms – a task that has yet to be completed, leaving many parts of the infrastructure leaking poisonous chemicals into the sea.

The profits that Shell makes does not benefit its consumers, nor UK citizens, nor the environment – only shareholders (which still includes various pension and investment funds) and board members.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60295177

https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/may/02/shell-unveils-new-35bn-share-buy-back-after-higher-profits-than-expected?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

The super rich

Whilst most people in the UK have seen their annual income fall in real terms, a select few have seen their income and wealth continue to rise. Typically these were people who inherited or otherwise could access money. People with money can buy property rather than renting, and can then gain from rising property values. At the same time this has the effect of raising property prices out of the re@ch of many people. People with money find that proportionately the things they buy – luxury items – do not rise as fast in price as basic items. The inflation rate for basic foods has been consistently higher than for more upmarket items. It is a true saying that ‘money begets money’.

The unequal spread of money distorts markets – shopping streets in affluent areas continue to thrive whilst in deprived areas, more and more shops have closed.

The Guardian reported “The richest 350 individuals and families together hold a combined wealth of £795bn – a sum larger than the annual GDP of Poland. Priya Sahni-Nicholas, a co-executive director of the Equality Trust, a charity that campaigns for the creation of a fairer society, said the list “demonstrates the obscene extent of inequality” in the UK. “Billionaire wealth is up by more than 1,000% since 1990 at a very real cost to us all,” she said. “This rich list is built off record bill increases, massive price hikes for essentials, an endless shortage of decent homes, and huge investment in fossil fuels.

“To make progress on these crises we must tackle inequality. The super-rich have spent centuries diverting wealth into their hands, making our democracy less responsive to people’s needs and damaging our communities. The result is we are poorer, sicker, less productive, unhappier, more polarised, and less trusting.”

https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/may/17/british-asylum-housing-tycoon-breaks-into-sunday-times-rich-list?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Counting on … day 114

24th May 2024

As well as making conscious choices about what we buy, we also tread the path of not buying. We live in a consumerist society where the opportunity to buy something is constantly being promoted – buy this new model, or that improved/ upgraded/ repackaged product; indulge yourself with this luxury or that trivial frippery; indulge your pet/ garden/ kitchen; buy this humorous nonsense; buy this upgrade; buy another and save 50%.

Early on I learnt to avoid lifestyle magazines which are really only vehicles for promoting consumption!

It’s not being mean or stingy but rather it is lovely to look at things we have, and think of its history, how long we’ve had it, where or who it originally came from.

Counting On … Day 113

23rd May 2024

Utilising the power of the consumer pound. When we spend money, we use our money as if it were a vote with which we can show our support for the most ethical product or service – which might be because it is fair trade, because it is plastic free, because its producer pays a living wage and/ or fair taxes, because its a B Corp, because it supports a local business, because it protects the environment etc. To help make these decisions we have a subscription to Ethical Consumer – https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/

Using the power of the consumer pound also means not buying certain things or not buying from particular retailers or producers. For example we don’t buy from Amazon, nor from Starbucks.

Counting on … day 112

22nd May 2024

Some years ago, I took the decision not to fly and Paul has fallen in with this, even though he still regrets the places he may not now visit, and listens with a bit of envy when others tell of their latest overseas holiday.

What we do do is to travel by train, both here in the UK and across Europe – and have done for many years, both with all three children from when they were young, to now when it is just two of us. You can, from London, reach Berlin and the Swiss Alps within the day – alternatively there are now a growing number of sleep services across Europe.

Counting on … day 111

21st May 2024

We no longer have a car. The one we had received little use in recent years – its main function being to take Paul’s model railway to exhibitions. We had very much decided that the car was only there for when there was no alternative means of getting from A to B – a decision that became a habit. Being both non ULEZ and increasingly prone to developing faults, Paul finally took the offer of scrapage for the car.

Living in London we have the advantage of a good public transport network which gets us most places and if need be we can take a taxi. Most of day to day travel is on foot or by cycle.

Counting on … day 110

20th May 2024

Being as green as we can with energy includes not boiling more water than we need for drinks, turning off appliances and lights when not in use, replacing lightbulbs with LEDs, and opting for energy efficient appliances when buying new ones. In the garden we don’t use power tools – cutting the grass (infrequently) by hand. In the kitchen we have an electric stick blender which is a real boon but otherwise use hand powered tools for cooking such as balloon whisks and a hand cranked coffee grinder. Elbow grease is an undervalued source of energy! And there is also the energy saving component that comes from not buying the electrical item in the first place.

As previously mentioned, we are also able to save energy by showering less often, washing clothes – and therefore ironing – less often.

With cooking, we use primarily the hot plates and microwave, and when using the oven (usually bread making day) cook several items to maximise use the energy.

Further reading – https://greentau.org/2021/09/10/the-green-tau-issue-16/