Columns (December/January 2009/2010)
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Green Links
with Janis Irvine
As I write it is Remembrance Sunday and the readings seem strangely applicable to what it currently happening in the climate change picture. There was a reading from Jonah — of whale and water fame — who wanted a vengeful God to wipe out the wicked people of Nineveh because they had been disobedient to the will of God and had not shown mercy and kindness to their neighbours. Then there was a reading from Hebrews and we learned about God’s sacrifice of his son, of the cross and of salvation and of hope. And we learned that God did not destroy Nineveh but recognized that the people had seen the error of their ways, had ‘done good’ and repented.
You are probably already way ahead of me. The people made a mess of things and caused much harm to God’s creation but all was not lost. They turned away from their old ways, stopped being selfish and learned to love their neighbours and fellow creatures. ‘Love’ seems to be the operative word here. By focusing on loving others, we forget ourselves.
I have read in the past few days that the Copenhagen Treaty, the successor to the Kyoto one, may not come about when the world’s leaders meet in December. Apparently there are too many issues to be sorted out, too many interests to be guarded. Do I see the people of Nineveh here? What then for the people of parched Africa or the water-lapped low-lying Pacific islands? Can they wait until the right terms are sorted out? Those London environment ‘Wave’ marches seem even more important.
Time to bring in the repentant people of Nineveh – and this is where we come in. Governments may not reach a successful conclusion in Copenhagen but we, the ordinary Joe Bloggs’ of Britain, can continue to take positive steps, and take increasingly bigger ones, to make changes in our lives which will help our neighbours, whether they be the people now living in Africa etc. or whether they be the children of the future — our grandchildren. In the words of John Lennon: “All we need is love”.
Christmas is coming up and Christmas is all about love — and the world certainly needs lots of it just now. So what can I give this Christmas that is mindful of my own responsibilities? For my children and grandchildren I will continue to search for items that are long-lasting and have a low impact on the Earth. Things that biodegrade, things that don’t have batteries, things that are simple and won’t become useless when they lose a small part, things that can be mended, things that won’t lie in landfill for hundreds of years. Likewise for friends and extended family, and I will try to buy items locally, which are also made locally or which will benefit a charity. I will try not to buy something new when a rummage at home will come up with something similar. Things like brown paper, wallpaper off-cuts or even newspaper for wrappings or pieces of string, wool or old ribbon which will do to tie them.
And although I have failed somewhat this year, despite good intentions, I will try to make more things myself. When my children were young and I used to do a lot of baking, one of the greatest accolades they thought of giving me was “this tastes good Mum — almost as good as the shops”. I will try to ignore this and continue to show both them and my grandchildren that nothing has greater value than something made by hand, something made especially for them and made with love. I will also continue to encourage them to buy “previously worn and loved items” (isn’t that a lovely expression?) from charity shops rather than always buying new ones.
And beyond my family and friends? I can’t support them all, but I will continue to support by donation a few of the bodies that are trying to mitigate the effects of climate change on the other species that share our world, or who seek to restore their habitats and populations. For me this will include the Northumberland Wildlife Trust and the Soil Association, but there are a vast number of organisations out there that are doing wonderful work and which would welcome either your financial support or voluntary help.
This Christmas, let’s all endeavour to make it a simple one and make it one based on love for all life. I wish you a happy, simple, and green Christmas.
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Rural Affairs
with Dagmar Winter
A conference planned for November 3-5 next year at The Hayes, Swanwick, in Derbyshire, is going to be the rural event nationally in 2010, with a number of contributors from within our Diocese, including one of the keynote speakers, Professor Mark Shucksmith from Newcastle University.
A Faith and the Future of the Countryside is a major ecumenical conference for all who are involved and interested in exploring the future sustainability of rural communities and their churches.
The conference will mark 20 years from the publication of Faith in the Countryside and the completion of the Archbishops' Commission on Rural Areas.
The four conference themes of rural communities, economy, environment and rural church reflect the breadth of issues covered in the original report.
Seminars will include:
Rural communities
what are sustainable rural communities – Michael Winter
creating communities of mental health and wellbeing – Lorna Murray
mainstreaming rural policies: myth or reality – Frances Rowe
Economy
the sustainability of rural economies – Neil Ward
rural oikonomia and a theology of enough – John Wibberley
planning, power and values – Mark Shucksmith
Environment
ethical challenges to land based industries – Sir Brian Heap
environmental Crisis –incarnational response in an age of rapid change – Adrian Hough
climate change and rural communities – Martin Hodson and Margot Hodson
Rural church
spreading the Gospel in a small rural village – Anne Richards
what future in the countryside for nonconformists – Gill Crippen & Nicholas Wood
emerging from the Rural Church – Stephen Skuce
There will also be poster sessions, exhibitions, a market place and fringe meetings. Here's the Rural Officer's suggested New Year's resolution: Sign up for this conference, go along, meet others beavering away and dealing with similar issues in other parts of the country, and be inspired!
For a booking form go to www.rural20.org and scroll down for the link to the booking form. Or ring me, Dagmar Winter, on 01830 540 260, leaving your name and full address, and I will send you a paper booking form with all the details. As far as possible, no one should be prevented from attending due to financial constraints, so please get in touch if there is a difficulty.
A cattle post in deepest Northumberland
On his rural day in our diocese, Prof. James Amanze, visiting Newcastle from Botswana, went to Scots Gap Auction Mart to watch a sale of fat lambs. This was followed by a visit to the development at Kirkharle where he met shop and estate owners and was told the story of the famous landscape gardener Capability Brown, who was born and baptised in Kirkharle. Just becoming visible were the outlines of the serpentine lakes which are currently being dug out according to old plans by Capability Brown.
After lunch at Kirkharle it was time for a farm visit, and Prof. Amanze was delighted to see some cattle at Prior Hall Farm, Cambo. He told us that in Botswana most city dwellers return home for the weekend to their cattle posts, a traditional system of unenclosed communal grazing. In comparison, farmer Jonathan Aynsley commented that even rural life is much more urbanized these days, and links between agriculture and city life have been severed to the extent that many inner-city children have little idea of the origin of their food.
It was a beautiful day and Prof Amanze enjoyed the drive from Kirkwhelpington to Alnwick, passing Cragside. He admired the views across the Simonside hills - with their traces of ancient civilization - and finally watched the sun setting over the Cheviots.
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View from the Lantern
by Canon Sydney Connolly
“A Joyous Sight!”
.......Crowds of excited children, queuing up to get into the Cathedral on a bright morning in mid-November. They were there for the annual St. Nicholas Trail. Each year, the Cathedral contacts schools in Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle and invites them to bring parties of primary school children to take part in the Trail. It began in the year 2000, and has gone from strength to strength. Throughout the week, something like 300 children enjoy this unique and special time in our Cathedral. Members of the Cathedral staff and helpers from the diocese tell the story of St Nicholas and the Cathedral, complete with costumes, props and sound effects. It is marvellous to watch the girls and boys captivated by the stories they hear.
“A Joyous Sound!”
.....I followed it up the stairs to the Thomlinson Room, to find 30 or so children gathered around tables which offered workshops of all kinds. The first table I came to was one in which volunteers were helping the children to make sweets for Christmas (a very popular workshop, that!). Also on offer were the making of Christmas cards, decorations, room names, gift boxes and even tea-pot stands – tiles which are fired by a volunteer and carefully returned to the children, who proudly show them to their families and friends.
“A Joyous Crowd!”
All of this is made possible by an army of dedicated helpers who give of their time and talents so willingly, and who no doubt end up quite exhausted by the time Friday afternoon of the Trail week comes round! As I watched the morning unfold, I was reminded that throughout the diocese all sorts of different parishes put on similar activities for children in Advent, Holy Week, and school holiday time. This is truly a great service to our children, which should be acknowledged and celebrated by all of us. There may not be large numbers of children attending our churches, but a huge number of them are lovingly welcomed, taught and cherished at such times as these (even though they may leave a bit of a joyous mess in our churches, halls and Cathedral afterwards!)
“A Joyous Saint!”
St. Nicholas, fourth century Bishop of Myra, inspires all the work done with and for children in our Cathedral Church, and, I am sure, in many other places throughout the diocese. Nicholas had a special love and concern for children, and there are stories of him saving young ones from hardship and peril. He is said to have thrown three bags of gold through the window of a house, thus saving three little girls from the threat of prostitution. Legend has it that he also brought to life three children who had been murdered and hidden in a tub. And of course, there is also all that confusion about him and a certain Father Christmas. Representations of these legends can be found in various places in the Cathedral, including some Canons’ copes. In several European countries, the feast day of St Nicholas (December 6th) is observed with much feasting and merriment, and gifts are often exchanged on his day, rather than on Christmas day. We give thanks to God for the life and example of St Nicholas, in the words of his Collect: “Almighty Father, lover of souls, who chose your servant Nicholas to be a bishop in the Church, that he might give freely out of the treasures of your grace: make us mindful of the needs of others and, as we have received, so teach us also to give.”
“A Joyous St Nicholastide, Christmas, and New Year to you all!”
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Christian Aid
O broken town of Bethlehem
Some 2000 years ago, Bethlehem was a place of joy as Christ was born, and two millennia on, it is still the focus of our Christmas celebrations today. But as we celebrate that miraculous occasion this year, Bethlehem is a place of conflict, fear, and poverty.
Conflict has stricken the Holy Land for the last 60 years, and right across Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories many children, caught in the literal and emotional cross fire, have lived a childhood of pain and fear. Rockets; military attacks; suicide bombers and blockades - wherever they come from - all lead to fear, injury, bereavement and poverty.
For Palestinian children living in impoverished, occupied areas, the struggle can be extreme. Christian Aid's partner, the YMCA, works in Bethlehem and provides help to those affected by injury and trauma across the West Bank. Fatin Al Shoppi works for them. She says: 'There are no children here who have not seen or heard about violence as a daily fact of life.' This year, why not bring hope to those most in need, with gifts that will change their lives? £8.50 could pay for a traumatised child to attend an art therapy session, or £25 could provide a day's vocational training for a disabled person such as Mu'in, shot by Israeli soldiers at a rally when he was just 19, left physically disabled, now running his own successful carving workshop after training in olivewood carving as a trade, provided by Christian Aid partners in Bethlehem.
Christian Aid's Present Aid gives you the chance to make a tangible difference to the lives of those suffering. Present Aid offers you the opportunity to make a donation to a specific area of work on behalf of someone else -be it 16 ducks for Bangladeshi flood victims on behalf of an animal loving friend, or a football for a "kick HIV" tournament in Sierra Leone for a soccer fanatic.
Julia Sayce from Stocksfield explains why she gives Present Aid gifts: "Present Aid is a sensible and helpful alternative to giving gifts for their own sake. I don't need to give or receive lavish presents when I could be helping those much more in need. I can still give personalised presents - I gave a doctor friend a stethoscope for hospitals in the developing world one year, and a can of worms for a five year old! Even though this year we may be feeling the pinch a little, giving to those in a much worse position is really what Christmas is about."
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