December Eco-Group Comment

December Eco-Group Comment

Well, we’re nearly there. We’ll be lighting the 4th Advent candle this weekend. To me it doesn’t seem two minutes since it was the beginning of Advent and the start of the church year. I find it quite a difficult time as there’s so much to pack in with concerts, carol services and general preparations that thinking of it as a time for new habits in a similar way to the beginning of the new school year, the new calendar year and the new financial year is beyond me.  

We can look at annual events as being opportunities for changing perspectives and our approach to life in general and our relationship with our world in particular but that world out there is quite overwhelming for so many people. It’s difficult to have quiet thoughts when your senses are overwhelmed with Christmas jingles and songs, lights and advertising exhorting you to spend more than you want to on things that neither you nor anyone else really need just to make money for faceless shareholders and big business. Maybe that’s why churches are busy at this time of year. People come into the peace and quiet of churches and cathedrals because it’s a way of stepping out of modern day living for a short while.  

Stepping into nature and the great outdoors can have similar benefits. The Eco Group and the gardeners have worked hard this last year to make the areas around our cathedral to be somewhere to stand awhile and look at nature. We’ve even tried to photograph and identify the different varieties of plant and animal life that can be found in these spaces. We’ve welcomed people from outside of the cathedral family to events and made connections with others who have a similar outlook on nature and wish to live a more environmentally friendly life. We have several ventures in the pipeline for next year and would welcome any suggestions or ideas for becoming more eco friendly and encouraging others to do the same.
 

Next year we in the Cathedral Eco Group want to focus on ideas around Social Justice and how we can enable others both locally and further afield to have a more equitable existence. An AI overview describes Social Justice. It ‘is the principle of ensuring the fair and equitable access to resources, opportunities, rights and treatments for all individuals and groups in a society, actively challenging discrimination, inequality and exclusion to create a more just world where everyone can thrive, regardless of background.’ We know that looking after nature and creation is a good place to start. We also know that in today’s political climate it will be a challenge. 

If over the Christmas holiday you want to fight the doom and gloom that is so often present in the media can I suggest a couple of publications which present a more positive outlook on matters both environmental and about our world.  ecologi.com and positive.news both manage to find stories and articles which fight the darkness which along with the Christmas message will lighten our hearts. 

On behalf of the Eco Group can I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. 

And a PS from A Rocha Journeying towards a zero-waste Christmas – A Rocha UK