Friday 20 September 2013

From Johnathan and Charlotte Gravestock , Hove Methodist church

All people who have a concern for the world, whether adherents of a particular faith or not , have a duty to care for the planet.
climate change is one very important factor , but there are related issues that have high importance such as population growth and efficient use of water and energy (eg for heating , travelling and producing food .)
to manage all these issues as well will need to harness the combined forces of politics , scientific research and spirituality .
People of faith can contribute the (often unrecognized ) positive power of prayer , meditation,  and reflection  with regard to their vision of universal responsibility and common good.

An important area to concentrate on is self education ,as we must acquire enough understanding of the issues involved in order to critically evaluate the data and opinions we hear .Only then can we make informed decisions regarding the best responses to new situations .

we agree with Stu that we can all take small measures that together add up to make a significant difference .
Have you planted any bee friendly plants in your garden or window box this year ?(bees are actually thriving in greater London now partly because people have been doing this and creating roof gardens in the city .)
Do you have space to install an additional water butt ?Can you reduce your consumption of meat if you are not already a vegetarian ?

Every small step helps and doesnt have to involve expensive technology.If we each play our part in ways like these , we can not only set an example in living out our faith , but also start to make things better .

1 comment:

  1. Couldn't agree more, Johnathan and Charlotte, on the unique contributions we can bring as members of faith communities. The widely admired witness of Quakers in Peace and Social Justice has only been possibly through our tried and tested methods of translating the stillness we reach in worship into concerns and spirit-led action in the world. I believe all faith communities have much to offer in similar ways. For someone who in their spiritual life seeks union with the divine (or whatever higher power they believe in be it Buddha Nature, Brahma, the Godhead), there is the potential to go beyond action which is merely well thought our or emotionally satisfying to that which is truly inspired and has effects out of all proportion to their modest measure. Because of this I think Sahajatara's vision of our faith communities leading the way to a new place of power in promoting sustainability is an interesting one. I hope we can continue sharing our insights and joys as well as our concerns.


    Jason

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