COP15 Day 1: Connecting dots

Posted on: 12/08/2009 10:04

Late yesterday afternoon I received an e-mail from a faithful church member in rural Ontario. The words sounded harsh to me, questioning the Moderator’s priorities (going to Copenhagen) when the church at home needs so much attention. Most e-mail messages provide no real contact information, but this one had some clues. So I tracked down a phone number and had a good conversation with a wonderful woman last evening.

We discovered that we share many concerns: the health of rural communities undergoing huge demographic shifts; a desire to become more intercultural and relevant as church; a longing to see the church embracing—and embraced by—younger ones.

She said that she had written her e-mail to me in a moment of deep disappointment and frustration at the lack of felt support from presbytery—and yet she expressed compassion for the presbytery too, acknowledging that it was hard to know the whole story.

So true. We can’t possibly know the whole story without one another’s help. What I expected to be a conversation marked by distance and difference became a conversation of connection, of wider perspective and common purpose.

This is how I see soul, community, and creation—interwoven. I am praying for my sister in faith, and for her congregation as they move through a particularly stressful time. I continue to work with others in the General Council to address the kind of concern she carries as she too works to make things better in her congregation and presbytery.

As we said goodbye, her kind words of blessing sounded like a prayer for my well-being, and even hope for a fruitful time at the climate change talks.

She and I are each acknowledging deep longing, bringing it to each other in community and trying to make things better for our children and generations to follow them. This is the kind of conversation that changes the world—by God’s abundant, healing Spirit.

Have you had such conversations lately?

Want to stay up to date on this blog? Subscribe by e-mail or RSS.

Mardi Tindal's blog

Comments

pupil

Posted on: 12/08/2009 11:51

I haven't had many conversations, outside of bible study, regarding the church's involvement at Copenhagen. However, I have had a few with myself about the connection between my faith and my concerns for the environment. I have been interested in doing the usual things such as recycling, buying items with less packaging, composting, using more eco-friendly cleaning supplies, using a clothesline, eating less meat, etc, but I hadn't previously connected it with my faith. So this is new to me. It asks more questions. My sons have been fine with the activities listed above, but are a lot less co-operative when it comes to the use of electricity. I walk around unplugging things, and they walk around grumbling and plugging in. There are computers, fans, lights, electric guitars and video game consoles glowing 24/7 in our home, even when they are not in use. It is something that bothers me every day. I can almost feel our house pulsating with what I feel is ridiculous luxury, I don't anticipate this becoming important to them until they leave home and begin paying for their own needless consumption of power. It is hard to explain this concept of luxury to young adults. They understand luxury to be an excess of money or items. The concept of luxury as the needless consumption of an invisible substance hasn't hit home yet. Maybe when rolling blackouts become a necessity more people will notice that invisible luxury through its absence. I keep hoping that one day my nagging will make sense to them.

Yesterday when I was on my walk, I passed a couple who had a plastic bag with them and I noticed them picking up pop cans along the way. It reminded me of a friend from my bible study who sadly passed away this year. I am told that she took a bag with her on her walks and picked up litter along the way. I haven't done this yet, although my heart sinks every-time I pass a pop can or a bottle, or an empty cigarette package. I can hear my sons moaning all ready.

Arminius

Posted on: 12/09/2009 00:27

Hi Mardi:

We are having a showing of the DVD The Age Of Stupid on wondercafe.live! in our United Church Hall on Dec. 18th. We expect a full house and plenty of follow up discussion.

I think the biggest error of humankind so far is the wanton destruction of our natural environment. Our foremost spiritual responsibility is, or should be, to stem the tide of destruction which, if permitted to go on unchecked, will ultimately result in self-destruction.

I think environmental responsibilty is spirtual responsibility. Eco Spirituality is an idea whose time has come!

kaythecurler

Posted on: 12/09/2009 10:22

It is interesting how few people seem to understand that they live downstream and downwind of themselves and everything else. The pollution I spread today will come back to 'hit me in the face' sometime in the future - or it will hit my children or grandchildren.