Bad Religion and the Environment

Why do we disbelieve science ? Specifically why are we so slow to make the changes that will help save millions of lives ?

I think bad religion has played a part in encouraging our individualism - simply the world was made for us. It's ours. We own and control.

Good religion encourages a humility and a gentleness before the divine. It does not put us at the centre but rather our Creator and those for whom there is special care - the poor and vulnerable.

May good religion prosper !

Keep the Christmas Decorations Up !

As written for our parish magazine:

I am sure that by the time you read this your Christmas decorations are neatly packed away. Ours’ certainly are and I must confess that part of me is glad when they come down and life can return to normal.

However I am sure that in some ways we “rush” through Christmas, or perhaps more accurately don’t have the time to pause and reflect on the wonderful significance of what has happened.

At St Mary’s we decided to keep the Christmas tree up this year for a bit longer – I am told the Queen does just that – so we can continue our Christmas celebrations through Epiphany-tide and up to Candle mass. It’ll be Lent soon enough so let’s make some space for celebration.

To help me dwell a bit more on Christmas I have been looking at the Christmas Messages of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Pope and the Queen. A few of us have had a very interesting time discussing these profound reflections and trying to discern how their thoughts intersect with our own lives and experience.

The Archbishop’s Christmas sermon quotes Richard Dawkins (the well-known atheist !) to remind us about the power of the world to amaze us. Dawkins says “My overwhelming reaction is one of amazement. Amazement not only at the extravaganza of details that we have seen. Amazement too that are any such details to be had, on any planet”. Rowan argues that as we are amazed at the birth of the Christ Child, of God amongst us, so we should be amazed at the world around us. He describes the world as the home that God has made for his Son to dwell in. One member of our discussion group made the connection that we are called to be family – to each other but also for Jesus Christ. That is right and quite amazing too – we live in an amazing world, a home made for God’s Son.

Rowan suggests we think of the world as a divine “prompt” to our reverence and delight. This is surely a better way of thinking of the world rather than the crude way based on a simplistic reading of Genesis which sees the world as given to us for dominion. (Which we seem to have interpreted as ruthless exploitation and destruction !)

2008 will surely, hopefully be the year when we need to draw the amazement and wonder that we feel round the crib, amazement at the birth of God amongst us, amazement at the world with all its beautiful complexity. This is our home, a home for Jesus to dwell in and in which we can build family, with each other and with our God

Link to Rowan's sermon -- -
http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/sermons_speeches/071225.htm

Gifts - being distracted by things

An article by Chris Chivers in the Guardian today makes the very thoughtful point that we keep getting diverted by things. In our telling of the Epiphany story we concentrate of the gifts and their 19th century interpretation (gold telling us of Jesus' Kingship, Frankincense of his Divinity and Myrrh of suffering foretold). It's neat but not quite enough.

Chivers argues that it is the relationship of the Magi (Can we forget the 3 Kings ?!) to Jesus that is the key, not their gifts. Or that they came and not Herod, who would never stoop so low, or just not get it. These foreigners came from distant lands to worship the Jewish Jesus.

That's something I can support - an Epiphany not defined by commodity exchange!