Earth Hour in Dark Days

Prime Minister Trudeau encouraged Canadians to turn off the lights for an hour on Saturday night to observe Earth Hour. Of course the haters hated, deriding him for making such a suggestion during a time when the world seems so dark and foreboding. 

I'll confess that we didn't observe Earth Hour for what we figure is the first time since it's inception in 2007. I was in one room with a single light on, reading a book, while Ruth was in another, watching TV. Honestly, we felt quite pared down in terms of energy use, and we may need those candles at some point!

When Earth Hour began I was serving a congregation with lots of young families, so we made it a fun communal project. Lots of our members participated in different ways, and some actually shut down the power for everything in their home for the hour, commenting later on the silence when appliances and furnace weren't humming away. We framed the event as both a tangible and symbolic expression of Christian concern for Creation. 

Back then there was lots of excitement around the globe as major landmarks went dark and satellite images showed us that cities dimmed. It was a tangible way to be mindful of not only reduced energy use, but the realities of climate change which, sadly, have become even more acute since then.

While our collective will may not have been inclined toward Earth Hour in the midst of a frightening pandemic its interesting that the evidence is in that air pollution dropped dramatically in China during the shutdown, and that other countries are registering the same. There has also been a significant reduction in the use of fossil fuels as vehicular traffic has declined. 

What will we learn from all of this? I certainly wouldn't make any bold predictions about "seeing the light" -- or would that be the dark? -- and God knows our global data use has probably soared. We shouldn't give up on the legacy and value of Earth Hour just yet. 

The Climate Emergency Still Matters

These days there is essentially no news or coverage of issues of global importance other than...well, you know...

The plight of displaced refugees? The rights of Indigenous peoples in Canada and other countries around the world: And how about the disruptive effects of climate change? All these have been shoved into the background even though they continue to be extremely important. 

I'm impressed that Rolling Stone magazine has published  a special climate crisis edition with young Swede, Greta Thunberg on the cover. Today Greta is well known around the globe and she has inspired millions of teens and not-so-teens with a powerful message about acting now to save planet Earth. In the accompanying article we are reminded of her improbable start for this movement and her unwavering focus:

Back then, it was just Greta, a sign, and a lunch of bean pasta in a reusable glass jar. Then it was two people, and then a dozen, and then an international movement. I mention the bravery of her speeches, but she waves me away. She wants to talk about the loss of will among the olds.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/greta-thunberg-climate-crisis-cover-965949/

Earlier this month Rolling Stone published an interview with another climate emergency superstar, Katharine Hayhoe. Hayhoe is a Canadian who is a climate scientist living in Texas. She is an evangelical Christian who doesn't "believe" in climate change because it is a matter of scientific evidence rather than religious conviction, even though many conservative Christians don't see it that way. 

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/katharine-hayhoe-evangelical-christian-climate-scientist-953086/

We can't downplay the crisis we're in with the pandemic of COVID-19. We must be vigilant every day.  The global response may awaken us to the reality that we can take drastic and decisive measures in response to the greatest threats of our time. I pray that we will apply the lessons we are learning and "live with respect in Creation."

Enjoying In the Garden

I am regularly -- almost daily -- asked if I would like copies of books so that I can review them on my Lion Lamb blog. Sometimes I politely reply but I generally ignore the requests because they are unsolicited and they tend to reflect a theological outlook to which I don't subscribe. In more than a decade of these offers I figure I've said yes a total of three or four times.

Recently I had a copy of a book called In the Garden: An Illustrated Guide to the Plants of the Bible sent my way. I'm a leafy, outdoorsy kinda guy, so it intrigued me. In the introduction there is the explanation that "rather than being a dictionary of the plants mentioned in the Bible, In the Garden, with its original illustrations and plant descriptions, is meant to spark the reader's spiritual imagination." I'd say that the book does so quite well. 



I really appreciate the lovely illustrations by Becky Speer which include flowers, edible and medicinal plants and trees. The book could be used through the season of Lent as a daily reflection guide. 

The text includes corresponding scripture verses and explanations which are helpful. I struggle a bit with the places where an attempt is made to interpret passages as foretelling the coming of the Christ in the Hebrew scriptures. They seem forced at times, a theological agenda which doesn't really fit the purpose of the book in my estimation.

That said, I've come back to In the Garden a number of times just to savour the beauty of the illustrations. I would agree with the description that "these plants, as with all of God's good creation, call out to us to worship our Creator anew. I appreciate that Whitaker House press offered this book to me.  

Lenten Walk, Easter Promsie

Oreo on the Prowl

Joy comes with the dawn;
joy comes with the morning sun;
joy springs from the tomb
and scatters the night with her song,
joy comes with the dawn.

1 Weeping may come;
weeping may come in the night,
when dark shadows cloud our sight.  R

Voices United 166

This morning we decided to get out early for a stir-crazy antidote walk. In many jurisdictions parks and paths have been closed because people are too stunned to maintain physical distance from friends and strangers alike. We're taking advantage of the freedom to amble and ramble for as long as possible.

This is a butt-ugly, "Lenten self-denial" time of year in Southern Ontario. It's seems that the palette of our world is all subdued and sombre colours. We await the return of most songbirds and leaves to the trees.

We arrived at the conservation area by 7:45, so we were alone for our entire walk, even though we were on the trails for an hour and a half. At the boardwalk into the marsh there was a great chorus of red-winged blackbirds, the first cohort of returnees. We saw a purposeful muskrat, swans, various ducks and, yes, geese, geese and more geese. 

In the woods on another trail we stopped for a momentary ritual of gratitude for the trees we've adopted after reading about an elder Ethiopian woman who does so each time she enters the church forest she attends. It makes us mindful of both our setting and the Creator.

We laughed a lot as we staged Oreo, a favourite plush toy of our 2 1/2 year old granddaughter, throughout the woods. A tale of feline adventure for her will ensue.

We also walked in reverent silence, taking in the plainness which has its own anticipatory beauty. The carpet of decaying leaves muffled our footsteps. We reached the Moira River and were startled by a sharp report which was the slap of a beaver tail. We stayed still and it re-emerged. In fact, it hung around, swimming back and forth in an attempt to figure out what we were. A Pileated woodpecker pounded away nearby. 

Often when I'm outside hymns come to mind in a way they rarely do when I'm indoors. On the boardwalk it was Joy Comes With the Dawn, a hymn which we've often sung during communion on Easter morning.  

In what is a truly pensive season of Lent for the planet there is still laughter and joy, and an Resurrection promise, even though there will be no physical Easter morning gatherings in a couple of weeks.That promise was in the air today, and I'm grateful to God, Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. 

2 Sorrow will turn,
sorrow will turn into song,
and God's laughter make us strong.  R

3 We will rejoice,
we will rejoice, and give praise,
to the One who brings us grace.  R

The One-Vulture Distancing Rule

 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

Romans !6:6

A few years ago a nurse in the congregation I was serving pointed out that when I shook hands at the door of the sanctuary following worship I was essentially "Typhoid Mary" during flu season, potentially transmitting illness from one person to the next.  I took her observation to heart and began fist and elbow bumping people or just greeting with a smile and a word or two. 

The response was interesting. Some were confused, others amused. A few were annoyed, as though shaking hands was some sort of scripturally mandated form of communication. In fact, hand shaking began as a way to indicate that the two individuals were unarmed. Come to think of it, some of those grumps were armed and dangerous in their own way. Even in retirement I've made a point of altering my greeting behaviour at church during flu season.

We are now in a time when physical distancing in urged and even legally mandated as a matter of life and death. In Italy, a country where thousands have died because of the coronavirus, persons have been arrested for violating quarantine and the distancing rules. 

As someone who loves being out of doors and has noticed the Spring return of turkey vultures in recent days I got a kick out of seeing this vulture standard for physical distancing. Hey, if this image works for some people, why not? I choose not to go too deeply into the ominous implications of circling vultures!

For those who tend toward biblical literalism, I suggest ignoring the apostle Paul's well-meaning encouragement to plant a kiss on other believers. Even at the best of times this could lead to serious social distancing and maybe even a lawsuit. Instead, spread your wings (metaphorically) and stay safe, 

Living Water & World Water Day

First Paddle of 2020, On Still Waters

A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 

The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”

We're fortunate that so many of our regular outdoor forays are close to water. That's usually where we head, whether within conservation areas or provincial parks or other spots where we can put in a canoe or kayaks for a paddle. Anyone who reads this blog knows that this is our propensity, and that we love salt water as well. Hardly a year passes without some time at the edge of an ocean. Water is pleasing to the senses and absolutely indispensable for life. This watery planet is a miracle of our solar system, and I don't use that term "miracle" lightly. . 

Sunday was March 22nd and the annual World Water Day. It's mildly unfortunate that it didn't coincide with the previous Sunday's lectionary passage from John's gospel about the Samaritan woman and Jesus as Living Water. Just the same, as Christians we can acknowledge how central water is to our faith as both as a physical necessity and as a powerful symbol of rejuvenation and spiritual sustenance. 

We are all becoming aware that water is vital for disease prevention to address the modern-day plague which is coronavirus. Gloves are helpful, and so is hand sanitizer, but water and soap are the best way to kill the virus. I'm concerned for Indigenous people in Canada who live in communities where clean and abundant water isn't available, a travesty in our wealthy nation.Water is a sensory blessing and water is justice. 

I do hope we continue to have the opportunities to spend time by and on water during the difficult days ahead. I consider it a gift from God in every sense and my soul is nourished "beside still waters" (the psalm for Sunday past) and in the myriad freshets and torrents which mark Spring in this country. 

I don't recall ever using the hymn below for baptism even though the alternate tune, Stuggart, is used for another popular baptism hymn. Ah well...

1 Crashing waters at creation,
ordered by the Spirit's breath,
first to witness day's beginning
from the brightness of night's death.

2 Parting water stood and trembled
as the captives passed on through,
washing off the chains of bondage -
channel to a life made new.

3 Cleansing water once at Jordan
closed around the one foretold,
opened to reveal the glory
ever new and ever old.

4 Living water, never ending,
quench the thirst and flood the soul.
Wellspring, Source of life eternal,

drench our dryness, make us whole.

Spring Winged Migration

God sees the little red knot fly,

It meets God's tender view;
If God so loves the varied birds,
I know God loves me, too.

God loves me, too, God loves me, too,
I know God loves me, too;
Because God loves the little ones,
I know God loves me, too.

No, these aren't the original words to this vintage children's hymn which didn't make it into Voices United. I adapted it to make the Creator more inclusive in terms of gender, and I changed the species of bird while I was at it, even though it alters Jesus' parable on which it was based. I hope I'm forgiven for my license. 

I was reading an article in Orion magazine called The Flight of the Redknot about a remarkable bird which makes an annual Spring journey from the southern tip of South America to the Canadian, and the return flight in Autumn. Deborah Cramer is the author of the piece, but the accompanying paintings by Janey Essley are equally evocative It got me thinking about the migration of other birds, and Monarch butterflies as well. Even some dragonflies migrate as far as 1500 kilometres, which astonishes me. We are still trying to figure out how these creatures do this, how they navigate across vast distances and huge bodies of water. 

https://orionmagazine.org/article/flight-of-the-red-knot/



Tierra del Fuego 

I also pondered the reality of COVID-19, which is changing our human flight behaviour because of the real and present threat of a pandemic. Canadians abroad are struggling to return home, others are in isolation, either voluntary or imposed. International travel is shutting down and borders are closed. But not for the birds and the butterflies, and I'm grateful. 

In our backyard I can hear robins and red-winged blackbirds as I write. If we go into some more stringent form of lockdown I know these birds will still be there, and others, including hummingbirds and ospreys,  will make their return. 

Perhaps we can celebrate the return of each migratory bird we see, and marvel at their innate ability to find the way home. God loves us, and all of them. . 

Peace and Wild Things in the Age of Anxiety

During this unsettling COVID-19  time we are getting out virtually every day to remind ourselves of the goodness of Creation, always keeping a safe physical distance from other humans,  of course! In most instances we encounter no other people, so it isn't difficult to do so. Because of the time of year we have been able to cross-country ski, walk, cycle, and paddle within a span of two weeks. 

We find comfort amidst the trees and by water, and the poem by farmer/philosopher/theologian Wendell Berry called The Peace of Wild Things has come to mind often. Years ago Ruth gave me a copy in a frame she found which is carved as a tree. 

Here is a link to Berry reciting his poem, as well as a clearer text. The God who created you, the God who dwelt with us as the Christ, and the Spirit who came as a bird give you strength and solace. 

https://onbeing.org/poetry/the-peace-of-wild-things/

FridaysForFuture & COVID-19

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,
    the world, and those who live in it;
2 for he has founded it on the seas,
    and established it on the rivers.

Psalm 24:1-2

This is Friday which means there will be public rallies in many countries challenging governments to address the climate crisis. Actually this isn't true. FridaysForFuture has been responsible and discouraged these gatherings because of the COVID-19 pandemic which has killed thousands and threatens the health of untold millions.

We should stay aware that while there is an urgency to this health crisis which we must address, the climate crisis is the greater threat. For some reason, though, governments can grasp the severity of the virus but can't comprehend what the systemic breakdown of ecosystems and catastrophic changes to weather and sea levels will mean for humanity and all other living beings -- including viruses? 

Many faith communities have taken up the cause of FridaysForFuture because they see the Earth as the marvelous work of a Creator which must be cherished and respected. As Christians ask what we might do in response to COVID-19 we can also continue our dedication to healing Creation as an act of faith. 

Here are the recommendations from the FridaysForFuture website

Listen to the science and local rules and guidelines.
Prioritise health and safety.

If striking in public with others may put your health at risk, choose other kinds of climate activism, for instance:

• emailing politicians
• posting on social media
• #DigitalStrike
• #Silentstrike anywhere
• #ClimateHowl anywhere
• put a strike sign in your window and post a photo of it on social media. #climatestrike; #fridaysforfuture.
• online zoom strike with others
• prepare future activities, thinking about what may be effective approaches

Be creative and have fun.

Ill Winds and Glimpses of Good

As someone who has offered end-of-life spiritual care and presided at hundreds of funeral and memorial services through the decades I'm trying to imagine the sorrow of families unable to be with dying loved ones and prohibited from gathering to grieve and affirm eternal hope because of  COVID-19. 

The countries with the greatest death tolls are China and Italy with thousands of losses in each country. It has led to massive shutdowns of everyday life in those countries, along with a number of others, with citizens being required by law to isolate themselves.

There is an old expression, "it's an ill wind which blows no good" which figuratively and literally applies in these grim times. Scientists have noted the significant drop in the lethal levels of air pollution which is another form of plague in China because industries have been shut down. The estimate is that 77,000 lives were spared by the reduction in toxins in the air. 

Meanwhile, in Italy, the cessation of everyday activity has offered similar, if less dramatic results. The city of Venice is crisscrossed with canals which are pertually murky. Since the shutdown the water has cleared dramatically and schools of fish are visible for the first time in living memory. 



Fish in the canals of Venice

No one wants this deadly virus to spread and we'll pray for a speedy resumption of activity. Wouldn't it be wonderful if among the lessons learned there would be a pandemic of resolve to care for Creation? We can't seem to get our collective heads around the urgency of the climate crisis. Perhaps some glimpses of what can happen for good when we alter our ways may make a difference to our outlook and action. 

Celtic Mass for the Sea

When we lived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, I invited the composers of the Celtic Mass for the Sea, Scott Macmillan  and Jennyfer Brickenden to join us for a study and discussion session about their CBC commissioned composition based on traditional sources. They were very gracious in their response and eventually a number of the members of the study group heard the Mass performed in the city. 

I appreciated the richness of the lyrics and music and was particularly taken by the phrase attributed to one of the three patron saints of Ireland, Columba: "he who tramples on the world, he tramples on himself."

This may be St. Patrick's Day but we can appreciate the full scope of the Celtic Christian tradition in the midst of the Climate Crisis which is arguably a greater pandemic than the serious COVID-19

Here are the lyrics for the Celtic Mass of the Sea. 

Introit
Now lay thine ear against this golden sand, And thou shalt hear the music of the sea,
Those hollow tunes it plays against the land- I have lain hours, and fancied in its tone I have heard the languages of ages gone.
East and by North Send thine eyes forth  Over waves with great whales foaming,
Where sportive seals Dance their wild reels   Through mighty floodtides roaming.
He who tramples on the world …………. He tramples on himself.

Kyrie
God of the elements, Have mercy on us. King of the elements, Have mercy on us.
Spirit of the elements,  Close over us……………….Ever eternally
Oh strangely glorious and beautiful sea! Sounding forever mysteriously,
Why are thy billows still rolling on With their wild and sad musical tone?
Why is there never repose for thee? Why slumberest not, oh mighty sea

Gloria
Glory be to Thee, O God of life, Maker of wond’rous works,
Great bright heaven with its angels, The white-waved sea on earth.

Liturgy
First Reading:
“I”, spoke the sea; the whale haunted sea, the dwelling of seals, the home of creatures: “From the beginning of creation I am without age, without corruption of the earth, I expect no loss from decay for original sin has not touched me”.

Liturgy
Second Reading:
Salmon leap from the womb of the white-sea you look on
They are calves and they are lambs of good colour
You are the fairest of all fish that roam the sea,
Lord of the restless ocean wave.
Brown crab, cockle, oyster, Mussel, “bruiteag”, limpet, lobster,
Bearded mussel, “miaseg”, scallop- Lobster, squid, green crab,
Red crab, sea-shore flea, Whelk, whorl, barnacle And crafty sea-urchin,
Slender sand-eel and razor-fish, Hose-fish, black-snout, limpet-
O, God of the sea, Put weed in the drawing wave
To enrich the ground To shower on us food
That it may please Thee to give and preserve to our use the kindly fruits of the earth and restore and continue to us the blessings of the sea. Let not our faults or our frailty bring disaster upon us.
Tiny plant life keeps us living, Sea weeds till we reach our landing.
Food and drink and tiny plant life, Tiny plant life on swelling oceans.
Produce of sea to land, Produce from land to sea;
He who doeth not in time Scant will be his share!
Iur-aibh o hi Iur-aibh o ho
On the hillside I recline  Ho i ho rionn ei-le
Iur-aibh o hi Iur-aibh o ho
Ever yearning for the lost,  Ho i ho rionn ei-le
Iur-aibh o hi Iur-aibh o ho
Ever looking to the west,  Ho i ho rionn ei-le
Iur-aibh o hi Iur-aibh o ho
Where the sun sets in the sea.  Ho i ho rionn ei-le

Credo
Creideam ann an Dia an t-Athair
Uile-chumhachdach, Cruithear nèimh agus na talmhainn; (English translation of Gaelic: I believe in God the father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth)
I Arise to-day Through a mighty strength,
The invocation of the Trinity, Through the belief in the threeness,
Through the confession of the oneness, Of the Creator of Creation

Sanctus
To thee, Eternal Mother, Sing we in praise-
Ruler of the Earth and Sea, Of Air and Flame; The Radiant One.
Preserver! Destroyer! Giver of life! We ever praise thy name, Omnipotent!

Benedictus
Come and come is seaweed, Come and come is red sea-ware,
Come is yellow weed, come is tangle, Come is food which the waves enwraps.
(“come” here is a term of praise)

Good for What Ails You

Since we retired -- in my case closing in on three years -- we've spent an increasing amount of time outdoors. We've enjoyed some lovely trips to the Azores and to Newfoundland where we hiked and paddled and swam. For the most part, though, we've enjoyed parks and paths within a couple of hours of home, where we've hiked and skied and paddled and swam.

Our outdoor excursions have turned up a notch in recent weeks as the threat of COVID-19 has steadily increased. It is so easy to become mesmerized by the flow of information from our disaster boxes --why do we call them smart phones? - so we get moving, even in inclement weather.

I appreciate that this is a privilege not everyone can engage in, because of physical restrictions and the demands of employment and concerns about personal safety. We don't take our freedom of movement for granted and I certainly don't want to flaunt it. 

At the same time we're taking to heart the growing body of literature, including from spiritual sources, which suggests that moving outside helps to reduce anxiety and is healing for body, mind and spirit.



We walked in a local conservation area on the weekend and Ruth commented that it was reassuring to walk amidst the trees which could not transmit illness.Instead there was a sense of comforting kinship. We listened to the birds, including returning red-winged blackbirds and robins. We heard and saw wild turkeys and woodpeckers and other species. No social distancing was necessary, We also spent time by water, which is back to singing its song. 

Today we'll head out for a ramble with the grandlads, which is always a delightful perspective on the world.  

If it's possible walk outdoors, or look outside during these uncertain times. God the Creator offers solace through the marvelous web of Creation, and we can breathe deeply of this gift. 

Mary Anning, Scientific Revolutionary

I missed the anniversary of Mary Anning's death yesterday, which didn't bother a single soul. Anning was a fascinating British woman with virtually no education who has become a key figure in the annals of paleontogolical discovery. She lived in the first half of the 19th century when religion and science had an uneasy relationship on the subject of dinosaurs and the age of the earth. As the explorations and writings of the former seminarian, Charles Darwin, rattled the religious world others were attempting to reconcile the two magisteria. 



Anning was meticulous in her drawings

Anning had a remarkable ability to find fossils in the sea cliffs near her home of Lyme Regis. The fledgling field of paleontology was dominated by men, some scientists, some religious clerics. They were content to work with Mary and to largely take credit for her discoveries. She has finally being recognized in novels and films. 



A film about Anning called Ammonite will be released later this year starring two of my favourite actors, Kate Winslett and Saorise Ronan. I hope the reviews are good -- it's hard to imagine that these two will be anything but excellent.

To see a brief film about Anning click on the link below.





https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/category/science/prolific-princess-of-paleontology-mary-anning/

World Wildlife Day and the Creator

I almost missed World Wildlife Day, which would have been a poor reflection on your humble Groundling blogger. According to the United Nations website:

The incalculable value of wildlife

The animals and plants that live in the wild have an intrinsic value and contribute to the ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic aspects of human well-being and to sustainable development.

World Wildlife Day is an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and to raise awareness of the multitude of benefits that their conservation provides to people. At the same time, the Day reminds us of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime and human-induced reduction of species, which have wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts. Given these various negative effects, Sustainable Development Goal 15 focuses on halting biodiversity loss.

We might turn to the first chapter of Genesis in the Hebrew scriptures, or perhaps the marvelous Psalm 104 as reminders that the Creator is the source of the diversity of plants and insects and fish and mammals of this planet. Or we can affirm the notion of Turtle Island from many indigenous cultures. They give us inspiration and hope as the people of the in-the-flesh, dwelling-with-us Christ.