COP15 Day 5: Welcome to Hopenhagen

Posted on: 12/14/2009 17:37

“Welcome to Hopenhagen” billboards and wall paintings greeted us everywhere as we arrived in Copenhagen today. This city portrays a strong commitment to work toward climate justice. Surrounded by clean water and windmills, Denmark’s capital boasts that it has already created the framework for becoming the world’s leading climate metropolis. It has developed a heating infrastructure as well as a unique cycling culture: more than half the population cycle to and from work, and only one person in four owns a car. And they’re not kidding—one needs to watch carefully not to step into that bicycle lane!

The city streets themselves are now filled with tens of thousands of people. This is the Global Day of Climate Action, so marchers are making their way from Parliament Square to the Bella Center to be met by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mary Robinson in a candlelight vigil, demonstrating their passion to environment ministers, who began arriving today from the 192 countries taking part in the conference.

Demonstrators reflect a wide range of ages and cultures and have come from every continent. There is a sense of camaraderie. “Planet not Profit,” “Change the Politics—Not the Climate,” “There is No Planet B,” and “Nature Doesn’t Compromise” represent the range of messages on unfurled banners and signs, declared in varied languages. Street theatre and comedy punctuate with similar power.

Chris and I are preparing to head to a worship service at Trinitatis Kirke, where Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is offering the reflection and where we will be met by a TV crew from both the Odyssey Network and Vision TV, asking to hear from Canadian religious voices.

No sleep yet, but we’re feeling buoyed by the sense of shared purpose in Copenhagen this evening and by the opportunity for extraordinary work and worship of shared hope and compassion for the earth, all its peoples, and other creatures. Hopenhagen indeed.

How did you mark this Global Day of Climate Action?

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Mardi Tindal's blog

Comments

Pam35

Posted on: 12/14/2009 16:31

I’m quite new to the UnitedChurch, and I really love the idea of this blog- especially the fact that the entries usually end with a question. I’ve been silently reading for a while now, and I can’t resist sending in (my rather longwinded) “answer” to the question:

How did you mark this day of Climate Action?

I had known throughout all of last week that there was a Climate Change march scheduled for Saturday morning in the town just north of where I live. Knowing that I’d have to come to town before the rest of my family that day if I was going to attend this demonstration, I had one question that I was grappling with all week:

Is it morally right to drive two cars into town so that I can attend a Climate Change march? Two cars….double the gas…

The dilemma resolved itself. Our old car broke down beyond repair and we found ourselves ironically buying a “new” used car…on the way to the climate change march. I arrived just as the march was breaking up. I was able to sign the petition and stand there for five minutes.

This event was very symbolic of my life in many ways. Like many, I am trying desparately to be a follower of Christ. However, I know that I fall short of wholeness in many, many ways. What does following the “Way” of Jesus look like in this culture…what does compassion look like within this web of interconnectedness…where non-recyclable plastic is abundant in the grocery stores…where it is easy to, without even thinking about it, eat empty calories while people are without food all over the world…near home and far away….where we spend directly and indirectly countless dollars on weapons…where much of the new stuff that we buy has been manufactured without fair wages…where many are so tired they can find themselves “sleepwalking” through life…

I wasn’t there for the whole march…am I only “wading” in the “way” and not “diving” totally and completely in…

Lately, the story of Jesus healing the man with the “withered hand” (Mark 3) has been spinning through my head. Jesus enters the synagogue and sees a man with a withered hand. He’s being watched by the Pharisees. Jesus calls the man with the withered hand. He asks the Pharisees if it is lawful to do good on the sabbath then he is angry and grieves. Then he asks the man to stretch out his hand.

I sometimes feel as though our hands are withered in many ways, making it difficult to make real change because the interconnectedness and immensity of the world’s problems are so huge! I think that so many of us feel so overwhelmed by the injustices in the world. I wonder what the Historical Jesus would be angry at and grieve about in our world right now? I wonder that a lot. It sometimes paralyzes me.

In an earlier blog you asked what “inspiration” and “persistence” looks like as we prepare for Christmas. Well my answer to that connects to this the climate change question.

In the story about the man with the withered hand, Jesus doesn’t walk over to the man…he calls to him…twice. The man has to take action. The man takes two actions. First, he’s in the synagogue praying. Then, when called, he comes forward and stretches out his hand. Healing happens.

So I guess if we are persistent in listening for the “call of Christ” inspiration will eventually happen and our withered hands might be made strong…able to stop the paralysis…able to make change…able to spend longer and longer periods of time at Climate Change Marches.

Where I have also felt hope in the week leading up to the day of Climate Action was the preceeding Sunday, where during a worship service in community we prayed that the leaders would lead with wisdom.

Anyway…couldn’t resist answering the question.

Mardi Tindal

Posted on: 12/17/2009 05:21

I am so grateful that you couldn't resist answering this question. Your story and thoughts are so wonderfullly provocative. Forgive me for being brief (I'm still in Copenhagen and a lot is happening) and please know how much I appreciate your thoughts. We're certainly into a fresh discovery time of what being 'in community' and leading with wisdom means.

Thank you for the blessing of sharing community and discernment - with you!

pupil

Posted on: 12/17/2009 13:43

I like your use of the 'withered hand'. I have a hard time as well with thoughts of the world's suffering. The problems seem so insurmountable, and more and more intricate as disparate economies and needs become more and more tied together. It seems everything has its own chain reaction. On the personal level I have been battling strange and persistent illnesses related to allergies to just about every product that comes into our home. It's a personal battlefield just staying healthy. I can't control the environment of my own home because I can't count on simple products, including those that are meant to keep me hygienically clean.I have learned to read food labels very carefully , but other things like cleansers and cosmetics are still a challenge to understand. I have also learned that I can't rely on 'environmentally friendly' as a label. I have learned that because I became sensitive to one thing, I am now sensitive to everything.Another chain reaction. Everything in life is interdependent. I can't use soap,or at least as little as possible. I have to use olive oil instead of moisturizer, etc. Life is a landmine. I'm still experimenting. What I can't help thinking is that for me our weird propensity to proliferate unnecessary chemicals everywhere has left my body battling for equilibrium, and I can't help but see a parallel to entire Islands trying to do the same. It seems so daunting to think that I personally can do anything about climate change because just trying to wade through the chemicals in my home I have discovered how little choice I have.And this scares me. Not only can I not trust even the brands I have bought for years, because the ingredients may now come from anywhere on the planet and may in fact change the product into something I can no longer safely use; but I am concerned about the mega-store phenomenon. I don't think we realize how giant superstores are robbing us of even more choice. It seems a lot of us are comfortable allowing a business like Wal Mart to decide for us which products will be available and affordable to us.I still find it hard not to shop there, although I am considering not to. Have you noticed that the bigger the store, the less choice there is? There's tons of stuff but it is all the same stuff. The shelves are fuller, but with a much narrower choice. Can we depend on the mega store to chose to buy from manufacturers who care about the environment? Because it seems to me that the choices we make as consumers have been our most protected choices up until now, and I feel that as my range of consumer choice slowly erodes, my impact as an individual become much less. I realize I still have choices but I feel those choices being narrowed ex potentially. It seems I have less and less to say everyday. For instance, ridiculous packaging drives me crazy but if I want the product there isn't an option to buy it without adding unnecessary recycling that has all ready added unnecessary CO2 into the atmosphere at the point it was originally manufactured. If we can't solve a simple packaging and distribution problem how can we solve anything? I am choosing to get very very basic about hygiene products, cleansers, food, etc. I am choosing to keep myself educated about the environment and my own carbon foot print. We walk whenever we can. I am glad that Mardi is there in Copenhagen as a church leader. It doesn't seem like a useless exercise to me or a waste of money and I believe she belongs there. However, I am unsure as to what can be accomplished. It seems to take a very long time for 'talk' to accomplish anything, yet silence accomplishes nothing at all.

Pam35

Posted on: 12/19/2009 01:07

"Pupil":

Thanks for responding. I really appreciate the opportunity to “talk” to someone about this stuff. It can be very overwhelming at times.

I hear what you are saying about Walmart and big box stores. When it was announced that Walmart was coming to Parry Sound, there were many of us who were quite vocal about our concerns! It came anyway! I’ve gone in there once – to return someone’s camera that I broke! I went into another one once because it was the only place in a mall that I could, ironically, find some emergency clothe diapers...in the car section..go figure!

I felt very overwhelmed in that store!

I have found it very easy not to shop there and to speak out about my concerns…but…alas...the interconnectedness of everything……parents of my students work there, people whom I know work there, and I know that not everything that enters into my family’s house has been produced in the most “environmentally friendly” way….making me a hypocrite for not shopping at Walmart but still bringing some things into the house that are newly created…probably from the same places that Walmart gets their stuff. People are often very quick to point that out.

Sometimes I think that one of the most important things that we are called to do as Christians is to “wake up”….to stop “sleepwalking”. There’s certainly a lot of references to that in scripture.

I agree with you that it seems to take a long time for talk to accomplish anything BUT good things have been accomplished that have started with talk. Look at smoking. During the last 30 years or so, as we’ve learned more about the damage caused by smoking things have certainly changed. We’re no longer smoking in doctor’s offices (I remember the ashtrays that were provided when I was a kid), classrooms, or even in public places! Perspectives have changed. Partially through talk.

As we learn more about the damage we are causing to the wellbeing of the planet, I really believe that we too can change. I really believe though that we need strong, deep, real community to make this happen though.

In my mind, to be a follower of Christ in community is counter cultural. But how do we get there? Are we, the church, percieved by the “world” as countercultural? I suspect that the answer is “no”.

I wonder if our bouts of “sleepwalking” are more than just a result of our exhuastion from fast paced lives. I wonder if we “sleepwalk” at times because looking at the “stuff” that we do and the “disconnect” from the way that want to live is so great and therefore difficult…very difficult… to look at and acknowledge.

When I was younger, I went to a Catholic school. I was the only noncatholic there. I wasn’t allowed to participate in confesssion. In my young mind, I imagined what happened in the gym as each kid left class to confess. I imagined that the gym was dark (except for the big beam of light that came down from the ceiling. I don’t remember if I envisioned the beam of light as a spotlight hung on the ceiling or if that beam of light was coming through an imagined hole in the ceiling….where the celestial choirs could look in on the confessions. I’m not sure. I was young…and somewhat imaginative. Anyway, I pictured the lone priest and the child confessing kneeling together in that beam of light – a very solitary experience.

I have a different vision of confession now. And I wonder if this might benefit our world….or our smaller communities…and perhaps our integrity as individuals.

I envision people coming together in large groups and writing honest lists of what they do wrong. What are the “sins” that we commit now? What causes our brokeness and the world’s brokeness…unintentionally? What systemic injustices do we contribute to? I wonder if the experience of seeing others as well as oursleves admit that they are doing very specific and similar wrong things would be a powerful experience.

After that I envision healing prayer…not feeling quite so alone…strengthened that others are doing the same things and also want to change but feel overwhelmed because there are no clear answers. And…in prayerful community I see people working together…steeped in the narrative of scripture …to make small changes….but changes together…in community.

I’m reminded of the feeding of the 5000…which sometimes I interpret as if everyone brings a little bit..and shares…amazing things can happen…unexpected things can happen….together…with God’s guidance (so I guess that's one way that silence can accomplish stuff..it gives us an opportunity to listen both to God, others..and even ourselves...our real selves...our honest selves.

But what do I know…

Boy I am long winded….yikes!

I agree with you. It is very inspiring to see church leaders in Copenhagen! What's even more inspiring is that reflections about Copenhagen end up in my inbox on a daily basis - keeping this very important gathering in my consciousness and my prayers....keeping me somewhat "awake".

Lastly, I thought that I’d share something that I wrote a while a go. It sounds like you (Pupil) and I (and many) are feeling the same thing…

Standing In Line at the Ice-Cream Store

The fluorescent lights illuminate every blemish on my skin. I feel cold. I shouldn’t be here.

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Over the buzz of the energy-sucking machines I hear snippets of conversations. Well, not conversations- just orders barked out to the tired looking person behind the counter.

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“I need…”

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Nobody needs a double chocolate sundae served in a plastic throw away container complete with a single-use spoon.

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I faintly feel the buzz of the universal energy that connects us all to each other. Call it what you want- chi, brahman, vital force, quantum domain, holy spirit, goddess, the force, the light, god…

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“I need…more sprinkles. That’s not enough…there’s never enough…never enough…

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Why am I here holding this cake wrapped up in plastic? Plastic…made out of oil. Oil… the cause of so much violence…so much violence. It’s my daughter’s birthday. Everyone is expecting a cake.

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I hear the cries of two children fighting with each other over two sundaes. Apparently, one has more chocolate sauce than the other one does.

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I feel the cries of the children in the world who have no food. I feel the cries of the mothers who can’t feed their children. I often feel this strongly when I am feeding my own baby girl. Soon I will be feeding her cake- full of empty calories- just for fun. I SHOULDN’T BE HERE!

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The fluorescent lights illuminate every blemish on my soul. I feel God’s warmth. I shouldn’t be here…yet here I am.