From Paul Turley

 

For Greta Thunberg, striking for climate as a 15-year-old school student in Riksdag, Sweden, was a brave act. For 23-year old Nanticha ‘Lynn’ Ocharoenchai from Bangkok, Thailand, to call for the same strike is to put her on her government’s radar and put her life in danger.

 

Ocharoenchai was inspired by Thunberg. Thunberg’s Fridays for Future movement began while Ocharoenchai was in her final year at university: “How she was feeling on an individual level, just how disappointed and angry that she was with how no one around her seemed to really care. I felt like I could relate to that in Thailand,” Ocharoenchai said.

 

Inspired to form Climate Strike Thailand, in 2019 Ocharoenchai led more than 200 young strikers in storming Thailand’s environmental ministry to stage a “die in” protest, in which students dropped to the ground feigning death as they demanded government action on climate change.

 

There is a lack of democratic freedoms in Thailand that makes any action taken by Ocharoenchai and Climate Strike Thailand extremely dangerous. Human rights Watch reports, “Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha's government imposed restrictions on civil and political rights, particularly freedom of expression, arbitrarily arrested democracy activists, engineered the dissolution of a major opposition political party on politically motivated grounds, and enforced a nationwide state of emergency, using the Covid-19 pandemic as a pretext. The press in the nation is monitored and censored; in its Freedom of the Press 2017 report, Freedom House labelled the Thai press as ‘not free.’”

 

During the “die in” it was not only older students who protested. Young children carried placards in one hand holding onto their parents with the other.

 

“We’re young, but we’re not dumb. We know it’s happening. We need change. We demand better,” said activist Ralyn “Lilly” Satidtanasarn, 11.

 

“We’re skipping school because teachers teach us how to work in the future, but if we don’t do this, there will be no future for us to work in,” said Peem Prasertsuntarasai, 11.

 

Surely these brave young Thais would resonate with another brave young women who made her voice heard 2,000 years ago when she proclaimed, “for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.”

 

 

Explore… Luke 1:39–55

• How does Mary’s song change for you when you think about how young she likely was at her betrothal and the fact that she was living under a dictatorship?
• How would you rephrase verses 46 and 47: “And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior’ to help a contemporary reader to better experience the ideas?

 

Prayer…

God of all mercy, we give you thanks that you looked with favour on your servant Mary and that you look with favour on all who long for your justice and generosity. May we experience your blessings this Advent. Amen.

 

Learn more…

• From Facebook 
• Young climate strikers “drop dead” at Thai environment ministry 
• Human Rights Watch: Thailand: Events of 2020

From Fraser Macnaughton

 

The ongoing spat between the UK and France over the migrant crisis in Europe, with particular regard to the loss of 27 refugees from a small inflatable dingy in the English Channel (in French La Manche), the world’s busiest shipping lane, has left many people indeed wondering “what should we do?”

 

With a backdrop of an upcoming French presidential election and the failure of the UK government to make good on its election promise after leaving the European Union to “take back control,” an unprecedented wave of desperate people have been making the dangerous crossing form France to the UK in completely unsuitable craft.

 

The UK was proposing to have their security forces patrol French beaches, a suggestion met with derision by the French. The French explained that the British ideas are unacceptable because they violated the “sovereignty” of France. As the two countries bicker, thousands more refugees succumb, in their desperation, to people-smuggling gangs, and attempt the crossing in winter in flimsy boats.

 

Meantime, opinion polls show that most people want both governments to come up with different ways of dealing with the crisis, beyond the political rhetoric, which appears to achieve nothing.

 

France has proposed setting up joint processing centres on French soil, where applications for asylum in Britain could be examined by British immigration officers. This comes on top of the research that shows most refugees attempting to cross the Channel have family or friends in the UK or have some English as their second language.

 

For many years, European leaders have tried various strategies to curb the flow of refugees from the world’s troubled areas, such as Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, and most recently Afghanistan. Stoked by xenophobia from many of their own citizens, they have followed low-tolerance plans to keep people out.

 

The French/UK spat highlights that politicians seem not to know “what to do” in the short term, while some see the only way forward as being “long-term” and collaborative, rather than using the crisis as a tool to play to their own domestic audience.

 

Explore… Luke 3:7–18

• What are some of the ways your faith community engages with refugees in your local community or country?
• To what extent do you trust your politicians to do the right thing by refugees, according to your faith?
• What opportunities does your faith community provide for people to come together and discuss the issue of migration and refugees?

 

Prayer…

As we approach Christmas and the birth of Jesus, we are reminded that very soon after he was born he and his parents became refugees in Egypt, fleeing persecution. May we open our hearts, arms, and minds to the plight of refugees and not be paralysed by the question of “what should we do?” Amen.

 

Read more…

• This is the real reason Priti Patel has been barred from France 
• On Channel crossings, France is sick of UK “outsourcing” problems
•  

From Fraser Macnaughton

 

In a world that seems to almost worship the cult of youth, whether by innumerable beauty products to stave off “ageing,” or the relentless pursuit by the media of “celebrities” and “influencers,” it is refreshing to see at the recent COP26 conference held in Glasgow, Scotland, that some prominence was afforded what might be call the “elders.”

 

Whether it was “The Elders,” an independent group of global leaders working together for peace, justice, and human rights, who were not shy in expressing their deep disappointment that world leaders have not yet had the courage to head off the worst impacts of the climate crisis. Or renowned figures such as Sir David Attenborough who appealed to the political leaders and heads of state gathered for the two-week summit to commit to holding global temperature rises to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, the lower of two limits set out in the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Attenborough said, “Everything we have achieved in the last 10,000 years has been enabled because of the [climate] stability during this time.” Or the many, many representatives of a plethora of Indigenous groups from across the global striving to get their voices heard, and the wisdom of the elders in their traditions on how the world might go forward to a safer future.

 

These various “elders” recognize the imperative truth that “as the climate emergency intensifies, the threat to life on earth becomes ever greater, that humanity has the choice of a better – and wilder – future. A future where wildlife thrives alongside people. A future where nature helps humanity in the fight against climate change.”

 

These messengers for change were united in their determination to work with younger generations, and to keep fighting for climate justice alongside the nations and communities most vulnerable to climate change. This means wealthy countries keeping their promises on climate financing, and compensating those worst affected.

 

As Attenborough cogently pointed out, “Perhaps the fact that the people most affected by climate change are no longer some imagined future generation but young people alive today, perhaps that will give us the impetus we need to rewrite our story.

 

Explore… Luke 1:68–79

• Where does creation spirituality and all that stems from it in terms of following Jesus feature in your worship community?
• How informed do you think your worship community is in terms of understanding and action in relation to climate change?
• Who does your worship community look to as potential messengers of change?
• What provision does your faith community arrange so that the wisdom of the elders can be heard?

 

Prayer…

Be still and feel the presence of God, the presence pulsing, pulsing through Earth, be still and feel the pulse of God. Be still and hear the Spirit of God, the Spirit breathing, breathing through Earth, be still and hear the breath of God. Be still, behold the glory of God, the glory filling, filling this Earth, be still, behold the face of God. Amen.

 

Learn more…

• David Attenborough urges leaders to be “motivated by hope not fear” 
• Nature must be at heart of fight to save planet 

From Sandra Rooney

 

Delegates at the U.N. climate summit finally finished their deliberations, with the expected mixed results and reactions. Even as the U.S. and China pledged to work together with regard to reducing CO2 emissions, youthful protesters were loudly saying it was not enough. Columnist Thomas Friedman captured the response of many when he said, “The Climate Summit has me very energized, and very afraid.” He said he was “awed” by the energy of the youth demonstrating in the streets, demanding action be now to address climate change. He also said he was impressed by the innovative new technologies showing great promise.

 

One example, CO2 Revolution, comes from Spain. In 2018 it was named one of the 100 best start-ups in the world. Its purpose, to plant trees to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, using drones. Similar initiatives across the globe are doing similar work and the use of drones is being considered as a viable method of capturing CO2 in countries with vast unpopulated areas, like Canada or China.

 

Leaders of more than 100 countries, including Brazil, China, Russia, and the United States, vowed to end deforestation by 2030 and committed $12 billion to the effort, with another $7 billion coming from the private sector. The agreement covers about 85 percent of the world’s forests, which are crucial to absorbing carbon dioxide and slowing the pace of global warming. Skeptics note that there has been a lack of progress made to meet former goals to reduce CO2 emissions and actually end deforestation. Delegates talk, negotiate, and make pledges, but leaders have difficulty convincing people at home that the time to act is now, and that we must accept some sacrifices if we are to preserve life on this planet.

 

Suzanne Simard, a University of British Columbia forest ecologist, recently published a book, Finding the Mother Tree, in which she lays out the result of years of study of forests, which she describes as “wired for wisdom.” As a woman in a man’s field, Simard has faced a lot of resistance to her findings about the nature of forest ecosystems, and all the work going on below the surface. But as she says, “The bacteria, the fungi, the archaea are the ones cycling the carbon, decomposing things, cycling nitrogen, filtering water, building soil.” She also suggests that they mirror human systems, and that we can learn from them about sustaining life on this planet. She describes how such systems are regenerative. “They’ve evolved that way – the old help the young, the large help the small, and it’s reciprocal.” The ability sequester carbon is just one example.

 

Then Simard points to our own societies, the joy we’ve developed, listening to the symphony, watching our children grow, for example. That’s what gives her hope, and hope she says is the “only way to go.” “That hope is based on understanding, an understanding that our ecosystems are meant to heal themselves. But there are tipping points and if we don’t make changes, they can collapse. But they can also go the other direction if we make the right decisions.”

 

Back to Thomas Friedman. He asked the question, “Is there anything I, one person, can do?” His answer was yes. “Plant a tree – or prevent one from being chopped down – by supporting Indigenous communities, whose territories contain 50% of all the world’s remaining forests and 80% of the healthiest functioning ecosystems.”

 

We can also teach our children. World-renowned scientist Jane Goodall, who has also written about the critical role that trees and plants play in our world, has endorsed a three-book series for children, What the World Needs Now: Trees (Bk 1), Bees (Bk 2), Less Plastic (Bk 3).

 

Explore… Jeremiah 33:4–16

• What was the future the people of Judah hoped for?
• What is the future that you hope for?
• How are you experiencing climate change in your community? 
• How can you actively work for the future you hope for?
• What role might faith communities play in living into a new future?

 

Prayer links…

Oh, Creator of our amazing planet, with all its living things, we pray for the wisdom to listen to Mother Earth. Help us to look toward the future not with fear and resignation but with hope, trusting that each of us can make a difference, if we act. Amen.

 

Learn more…

• The climate summit has me very energized, and very afraid 
• Can seeds planted by drones spawn new forests? 
• The road to climate recovery goes through the wild woods 
• Find the Mother Tree – book review 
• Suzanne Simard – Forests are wired for wisdom | On Being radio 
• https://www.facebook.com/WhattheWorldNeedsNowbookseries/

From Sandra Rooney

 

Stories of the rich and powerful, those with authority and influence, fill our news and social media. But there are other stories if we look and listen carefully. They come from places near and far, from ordinary folks who have a different vision of what life can be and who live accordingly.

 

Such a story comes from East St. Louis, Missouri, once a thriving community, now gutted by the same forces that have changed the shape of so many communities in the U.S. – loss of industry, followed by both white and Black flight. While the city is largely empty, its shops boarded-up, Terrence Conrad’s bright blue corner store is an “oasis of community in the food desert.”

 

Conrad has deep roots in the community. His grandfather Rollie Conrad left the fields of rural Mississippi as part of the 20th-century Great Migration of Black Americans seeking to escape the racial oppression of the south. He worked first for a German Jewish grocer, then, in 1945, the elder Conrad rented a storefront and went into business for himself. But he found that white vendors wouldn’t sell to a Black businessperson. So for several years he bought from his former employer. In 1954, at the population peak of 82,000, he built the store that still stands there on the corner of Bond Avenue.

 

Fast forward to 1977, when Terrence left his job as a regional planner in Pittsburgh to help his father run the store his grandfather started, Bond Avenue Fish and Poultry. Today, East St. Louis has a population under 27,000, a violent crime rate three times the national average, and a third of the population lives below the federal poverty line. That means hunger. A survey just a few years ago showed that the average distance to a liquor store from public housing in East St. Louis was less than half a mile, the average distance to a grocery store 2.996 miles.

 

Terrence Conrad and his wife Robin are working to change that. They have expanded their staple offerings beyond fish and deli meat to include fresh produce, including vegetables from local farmers. But the Conrads have an even larger vision. They know the value of community. This is their community. They greet people by name and ask about their families. And, as Mr. Conrad puts it, “When our customers come in they come for natural food. [But] we feed them … spiritual food.” He puts it this way: “Anything that’s in the Bible you can say in your own words, but they’re still godly principles.” Indeed, Bond Avenue Fish and Poultry is an oasis in more ways than one.

 

Explore… John 18:33–37

• How does this story live out the message of these words from John?
• What are the lessons for you from the Conrads’ story?
• When and where do you hear or tell the stories of hope, and of people who are living the life Jesus calls us to live?
• Are there ways your faith community might support efforts to bring wholesome living to those in circumstances one might call a physical or spiritual desert?

 

Prayer…

Oh, Holy One, Jesus has shown us another way. We pray we may keep our eyes open to see how we might live as to make that way a reality for our lives and those whom the powers of the “empire” have pushed to the margins of life. Amen

 

Learn more…

• This East St. Louis grocer tends an oasis of uplift in a food desert 

From Joan Kessler

 

I have a difficult relationship with plastic grocery bags. I know I am supposed to remember my reusable bags when I go to the store, but more often than I would care to admit I end up taking the plastic one the grocery store offers me. They make their untidy presence known in the bottom of my pantry. And somehow, their numbers just seem to morph and before I know it, I have a large conglomeration of plastic made from various resources like coal, natural gas, and petroleum.

 

I discovered I am not alone in my addiction to plastic bags. An icon of convenience, every minute of the day humans use approximately 1 million bags for a mere 12 minutes before discarding them. Each bag can then can last another 25 years in a landfill before decomposing. My forgetfulness and need for convenience is having a negative impact on the health of our oceans and marine life.

 

The COP26 climate summit will conclude this week in Glasgow, Scotland. Its agenda was formidable. Its task was to convince the world that the way we’ve always done things must change. Politicians, lobbyists, celebrities, and protestors will all fly home with a new resolve to implement a global strategy to address our climate crisis. Not all nations were represented at the table, and many wonder what can be accomplished without them. What costs are we willing to bear to ensure we have a healthy planet to leave to our grandchildren and their grandchildren? What things, like plastic grocery bags, are we prepared to live without? We wait to see if leaders will make the changes necessary to hold climate change back.

 

What lasts? This is the question that is at the heart of our gospel reading this week. Jesus tells his disciples to not be bowled over by impressive buildings and the wealth and power structures that hold them up. The temple will fall again. And authority will be challenged. But the God of hope and every new thing is continually at work in new ideas and leadership. With courage, we can let go of old ways of being and embrace the new that will see our planet protected. We hope for our tomorrow, the future Jesus continually pointed to.

 

What lasts? I am still considering this question… the answer has to be more than a pantry full of plastic bags.

 

Explore… Mark 13:1–8

• What things, what relationships are eternal for you?
• How do you imagine an ending to our climate crisis? What does a new beginning look like?

 

Prayer…

Everlasting God, in our grief over what has become of Creation, instill within us the will and the resolve to change. Because we can make a difference. May it not be too late. Amen.

 

Learn more…

• Life cycle analysis of plastic grocery bags 
• COP26 is a circus with a purpose 

From Joan Kessler

 

“Community fridges” have been showing up in neighborhoods across the country this past year as a response to food insecurity arising from the reality of COIVD-19. They provide access to fresh food, non-perishable items, and hygiene products, and are typically found outdoors for easy 24/7 access. There is no policing and no judgment. My community of faith recently opened the doors to a community fridge on our church property through partnering with other concerned neighbours. With the ease of social media to get the word out, people began arriving with grocery bags of items to donate. And soon others followed to collect the food they needed. Take what you need, leave what you can is the simple premise. Community fridges are a mutual aid initiative in which neighbour work together to help ensure everyone’s needs are met. They are an act and example of solidarity rather than of charity.

 

Visiting the fridge behind the church has become one of the highlights of my day. To talk to those who are visiting the fridge, either to donate or pick up items and learn something about their experience of the fridge, brings me such joy. I am grateful for the donation of labour and materials that went into the construction of the shelter; the appliance company who shared our vision and donated a refrigerator; and my congregation for taking a chance to get to know our neighbors more. I feel the reciprocity at work every time I look in the pantry and open the fridge door to see new food items left and others taken. The space is respected and valued. I have learned through this experience that social change can happen quickly and easily and make a profound difference to a community.

 

This week, we consider the story of the widow’s mite. Why she felt moved to give her two coins that particular day we are not told. But she knew her gift would make a difference to someone else, even if it meant a sacrifice on her part. The more we give the more we seem to have. I don’t know how to explain this. It just happens, like refrigerators moved from the confines and controls of a building out into public spaces with a community’s simple message: We are here for you.

 

Explore… Mark 12:38–44

• What social issues exist in your neighborhood that might be better served by a solidarity approach? What learning opportunities are being presented?
• What things get in the way of pursuing acts of solidarity? Is charity easier?

 

Prayer…

Abundant One, may we open the doors of possibility in our community, filling our spaces with good things. How shall we give this day as response to all we have been given? Amen.

 

Learn more…

• Community fridge opens in Lake Country 
• How Canadians started community fridges in their cities 

From Paul Turley

 

To make vaccines compulsory or not to make vaccines compulsory, that is the question.

 

In many nations, that question around the COVID-19 vaccine has been partially answered. In the USA, all federal workers and contractors must be vaccinated, and private employers with 100 or more workers must have all their employees vaccinated. In Canada too, all federal employees must be vaccinated, and in Australia, currently, vaccinations are mandatory for high-risk aged-care workers and employees in quarantine hotels. In France and Greece, vaccinations are mandatory for healthcare workers. Last month, the British government launched a consultation into mandatory vaccination for frontline health and care staff.

 

How are nations to balance the health risks of Covid-19 to their populations with the rights that those same populations have to make decisions about their own bodies?

 

“The wide spread of these policies does not immediately mean that they do not violate human rights. A look at past cases addressed by the European court of human rights sheds light on how these policies fare under human rights law. Regardless of who mandatory vaccination is directed at, human rights feature quite prominently in the discussion.” So says Kanstantsin Dzehtsiarou, Professor in Human Rights Law at the University of Liverpool.

 

“It is 100 percent a human rights issue related to the right to privacy and the right to bodily integrity,” he said. “Human rights protect our bodies and our ability to be the masters of our bodies. The consequence of this is our ability to determine our medical treatments. But this right is not absolute,” Dzehtsiarou said.

 

“Vaccination mandates for general adult populations are rare, for good reason,” The Economist tells us. “The benefits for communities have to be weighed against the rights of individuals to make their own decisions. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that mandatory vaccination must be ‘necessary and proportionate’ in the achievement of ‘important public-health goals.’”

 

While the debate over the balance between the rights of individuals and the safety of the whole population continues with regard to the COVID-19 vaccine, this is not a new debate.

 

It was in 1853 that the British government passed the world’s first mandatory-vaccination law. By the age of three months, all children were required to be inoculated against smallpox. A study by researchers at McGill University found that in 2018, 105 out of 193 countries had at least one mandatory vaccine. All 50 American states require children to be vaccinated against childhood illnesses like measles and mumps. Australia links childhood vaccinations to pre-school admission (“no jab, no play”) and family-assistance payments (“no jab, no pay”).

 

In our text for this week, Jesus’s linking of the second with the first commandment, while not giving us an obvious answer for our current circumstances, does require us to weigh up all the issues. The first commandment, to love God, encompasses all that God is and has made, and it requires us to consider all of creation. The second commandment, to love our neighbours requires us to consider individuals. This is our responsibility and our dilemma.

 

Explore… Mark 12:28–34

• Do you think the COVID-19 vaccines should be mandatory? How did you come to your conclusion?
• How can you help your faith community navigate the issue of compulsory vaccinations?
• Why do you think, after Jesus told the scribe, “You are not far from the kingdom of God,” we read that, “no one dared to ask him any question”?

 

Prayer...

God of all history, the present and the future, we don’t know how best to live in human community together. We need wisdom, compassion, and hope. For these we pray. Amen.

 

Learn more...

• Should Covid-19 vaccines be mandatory? 
• “A tipping point” 
• From smallpox to polio, vaccine rollouts have always had doubters

From Paul Turley

 

Have you ever wondered why Jesus, in our text for this week, asks Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?”

 

The man is blind! He appears to be living the life of an impoverished beggar! Isn’t it patently obvious what the man wants? Why does Jesus ask? Does it have something to do with not assuming that we know what a person needs? Does it have something to do with the importance of saying aloud what one wants and needs?

 

The people of Taiwan, through their president, Tsai Ing-wen, and their foreign minister, Joseph Wu, are doing just that – saying out loud to anyone who will listen what it is they want. They are particularly addressing themselves to the United States and to the Chinese government and its president, Xi Jinping.

 

Their comments are in response to increasing pressure from Xi Jinping in his push to “reunify” China: “Reunification of the nation must be realised, and will definitely be realised,” Mr Xi said on the anniversary of the revolution that overthrew the last imperial dynasty in 1911. “Reunification through a peaceful manner is the most in line with the overall interest of the Chinese nation, including Taiwan compatriots.”

 

Invasion rather than reunification is how Taiwan understands its larger neighbour’s intentions.

 

“There should be absolutely no illusions that the Taiwanese people will bow to pressure,” President Tsai Ing-wen said in response to the claims by China. “We will continue to bolster our national defence and demonstrate our determination to defend ourselves in order to ensure that nobody can force Taiwan to take the path China has laid out for us. This is because the path that China has laid out offers neither a free and democratic way of life for Taiwan, nor sovereignty for our 23 million people.”

 

Speaking to Australian television, Joseph Wu said, “The defence of Taiwan is in our own hands, and we are absolutely committed to that. If China is going to launch a war against Taiwan we will fight to the end, and that is our commitment.”

 

While China has, in the last few weeks, flown more than 35 Chinese fighter jets through Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone, Taiwan continues to seek dialogue with the Chinese government. The Chinese government refuses to do so calling the Taiwanese president a separatist who refuses to acknowledge that Taiwan is part of “one China.”

 

Ms Tsai continues to say clearly and loudly exactly what the Taiwanese people want. In her National Day speech said that Taiwan’s goodwill will not change, and it will do all it can to prevent the status quo with China from being unilaterally altered: “The more we achieve, the greater the pressure we face from China. So I want to remind all my fellow citizens that we do not have the privilege of letting down our guard.”

 

Explore… Mark 10:46–52

• How would you, at this moment in your life, answer Jesus’s question: “What do you want me to do for you?”
• We know that our story for this week takes place on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem, where, as Jesus has said at least three times to his disciples, he will meet his death. How does this context help us understand Jesus’s willingness to stop and address a blind beggar?
• Given that the Jewish people of Jesus’s day looked back on the kingdoms of David and Solomon as a golden age, why do you think Bartimaeus (and he is the only one in Mark’s gospel to do so) calls Jesus “son of David”?

 

Prayer…

God, we confess that we very often don’t know what it is we want you to do for us. Often, we are too afraid even to ask that question of ourselves. Remind us today that you only long for our healing and for us to be able to truly see. Amen.

 

Learn more…

• President Tsai Ing-wen says Taiwan will not be forced to bow to China 
• Taiwanese Foreign Minister warns his country is preparing for war with China, asks Australia for help 
• China denounces Taiwan President Tsai’s national day speech 
• Taiwan will not bow to China, says president 

From Fraser Macnaughton

This would appear to be the season for politicians around the world to be imparting some of their wisdom to us lesser mortals. Whether it be in the UK or Taiwan or New Zealand, there seems to be more of desire among some politicians to move away from mere catchy soundbites to more in-depth explanations of their policies. 

In the UK, Labour opposition leader Keir Starmer, ahead of his party’ annual conference, has laid out in a 14,000-word essay his emphases on the values of hard work, contributing to society, and partnership with the private sector. This moves the party away from traditional left-wing shibboleths, such as nationalization and over-spending. Starmer says “the role of government is to be a partner to private enterprise, not stifle it.” Devolution of powers from central government to local communities, tackling inequality, and ensuring effort is rewarded with better jobs and opportunities would all be hallmarks of a future Labour government.

Meanwhile in Taiwan, increasingly alarmed by a recent upscaling of military flights sent into their airspace by China, President Tsai Ing-wen has written a full essay outlining the importance of democracy in her country and declaring that her people are committed to defending the country’s democracy against an increasingly aggressive China. She warns her allies to “understand the value of working with Taiwan” against the broader threat posed by Beijing. “And they should remember that if Taiwan were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace and the democratic alliance system.” Broadening her theory of the current situation, she believes that authoritarian regimes are more convinced than ever since the COVID-19 pandemic that their model of governance is better adapted than democracy to the requirements of the 21st century.

New Zealand, under the premiership of Jacinda Ardern , has received widespread praise for the way in which she protected her country form Covid with some of the severest lockdown restrictions. Now, however, opposition politicians are threatening to break ranks as the country’s biggest city, Auckland, struggles to contain an outbreak of the Delta variant. 

The National party’s leader, Judith Collins, said elimination had worked while vaccines were under development, but now the plan must change. “Elimination is clearly not working,” Collins says. There had been ongoing high-level public support for the government’s approach, which has been borne out in its election results and the most recent polls. But cracks are now appearing in the consensus, and with a structured thought-out plan the opposition are hoping to make hay amongst voters. 

 

Explore… Mark 10:35–45

• What are the ways in which you discern wisdom among your politicians?
• What markers or indicators do you use when deciding who to vote for locally or nationally?
• To what extent is your support for a party or politician based on their philosophy of serving the people compared to what they promise you individually?

 

Prayer…
May we move closer to the reign of God by realizing prayer is a way of life as much as a recitation of words or a shopping list of wants. And may we exercise the gift of discernment of wisdom more rigorously as we walk on the Way of Christ. Amen.

 

Learn more…

• Keir Starmer essay sets Labour on course… 
• Taiwan and the fight for democracy 
• Clearly not working: New Zealand’s consensus…finally cracking 

From Fraser Macnaughton

 

With the attention of the world focussing increasingly on the upcoming COP26 Climate summit soon to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, it would appear more and more leaders are looking at taking concrete action. It has always been easy to point the finger at others to do more by way of carbon reduction and so on, while sitting on one’s hands. But recently, China’s leader Xi Jinping announced that his vast country, home to nearly 19% of the world’s population, will stop building new coal fire plants abroad. The Chinese president said China will increase support to developing countries developing green and low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad.

 

With its enormous wealth, China arranges finance for many coal-fired power plants across the globe. Indeed, along with South Korea and Japan, China was responsible for more than 95% of all foreign financing for coal-fired power plants, with China making up the bulk. Most of the plants are built in the developing world, in countries in Africa and Asia.

 

China, however, the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, is still heavily reliant on coal for its domestic energy needs. But President Xi also said that China will “strive” to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

 

Alok Sharma, the UK’s Cop26 president, tweeted, “It is clear the writing is on the wall for coal power. I welcome President Xi’s commitment to stop building new coal projects abroad – a key topic of my discussions during my visit to China. At COP26, we must consign coal to history.”

 

It is to be hoped that scoring political points is less of a concern to major powers than setting good examples of concrete action ahead of the crucial climate summit.

 

Explore… Mark 10:17–31

• How well informed is your faith community on the issue of climate change, in the light of the biblical injunction that we be stewards of creation?
• In what ways has your faith community committed to greener policies and activities in the last five years?
• In an era of so many different answers, who or what informs your faith community regarding what is to be done nationally and locally with regards to climate change.

 

Prayer…

May we exercise the gift of discernment when faced with so many competing voices, in the debates about current concerns. May we avoid the temptation to stick our heads in the sand because it is too difficult or too confusing, but rather keep asking “what can we do?” Amen.

 

Learn more…

• China will not build anymore coal plants abroad, Xi Jinping says 

From Sandra Rooney

 

In the United States today, we are facing many challenging questions, only some of which are shared equally by those living elsewhere in the world. Recently, the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S. went into effect in Texas, where the Senate voted to ban most abortions after six weeks, before many women even know they are pregnant. And the law authorizes citizens to enforce that law. The law will be challenged in the courts, and if upheld would essentially make Roe v. Wade null and void.

 

It was in 1973 that the United States Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, known as Roe v. Wade, ruled that a woman’s right to choose an abortion was protected by the privacy rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Ever since, states have endeavoured to limit when, where, and by whom women might have an abortion. Abortion opponents have used religious arguments to support their position.

 

Conservative bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States are pushing for guidelines that would deny communion to politicians – such as President Biden, an observant liberal Catholic – who support abortion rights. Recently, Pope Francis weighted in on the debate, saying, “I have never refused the eucharist to anyone,” adding that bishops should be pastors, not politicians. In a September 15th statement he said, “If we look at the history of the church, we will see that every time the bishops have not managed a problem as pastor, they have taken a political stance on a political problem,” citing a history of atrocities committed in the name of the faith when the church became involved in politics. Referring to communion, he has said, “communion is not a prize for the perfect.” Earlier in the summer, he put it this way: “The Eucharist is not the reward of saints but the bread of sinners.” However, along with those statements, in his most recent statement, he restated the Catholic position that abortion is homicide. “Whoever has an abortion kills. It is a human life. This human life must be respected.” But he goes back to the role of a bishop to be a pastor.

 

An NBC survey a year ago indicated a majority of American adults say they don’t support the Supreme Court’s overturning Roe v. Wade, which established a woman’s right to an abortion nationwide in at least the first three months of a pregnancy. By political party, 86% of Democrats are overwhelmingly in favor of preserving the decision, 71% of Independents, and even 50% of Republicans say it shouldn’t be overturned. Certainly a complex as well as controversial issue.

 

Explore… Mark 10:2–16

• What are the challenging questions you wrestle with? Personally? Within your faith community? In the wider society?
• Where do you seek answers to those challenging questions?
• If the Bible doesn’t give clear answers to many of our difficult questions, how does your faith help you answer such questions?

 

Prayer…

Merciful creator, help us to see all persons as worthy of our love and compassion. May we approach difficult questions with open minds and open hearts and may we be slow to judge and condemn, seeking to be faithful to the model Jesus showed us. Amen.

 

Learn more…

• Roe v. Wade on HISTORY.com 
• Pope Weighs in on Calls to Deny Communion to Biden 
• Here’s What the Texas Law Says 
• Majority of adults don’t support overturning Roe v. Wade 

From Sandra Rooney

 

John Shelby Spong was an Episcopal bishop who pushed his followers to accept women and L.G.B.T.Q. clergy. He also called on them to reject concepts like the virgin birth or the existence of heaven and hell. He died on September 12 at his home in Richmond, Virginia, at the age of 90. Over the last four decades, he had become one of the definitive voices for progressive Christianity and spent his life helping Christians and others find answers to some of the difficult questions of our times. Bishop Spong, perhaps more than any other liberal theologian in the late 20th century, helped to open up the Episcopal Church, and the global Anglican Church of which it is a part. He was the first American bishop to ordain a woman into the clergy, in 1977, and the first to ordain an openly gay man, in 1989.

 

Announcing Spong’s death, Rev. Fred C. Plumer, of the Center for Progressive Christianity said, “In the 30 years that I have known Jack, he has had a tremendous impact on my ministry, our organization, www.progressivechristianity.org, and the progressive Christian movement. He was a humble, but precise schola… His work will live on in the lives of many and will continue to provide an intellectually honest approach to the history of Christianity and the impact on our daily lives.” With those words, Plumer introduced tributes by many others those whose lives he had been a part of.

 

“Bishop Spong provided a much needed place for those of us who did not connect with traditional theology. He gave us a spiritual home. He helped demystify the Bible for me, helped wrestle it from the overtly possessive hands of literalists, and helped reposition it from a rule book handed down from God to the guidebook from our spiritual ancestors about what a healthy spiritual life looks like it was mean to be. He gave us permission to ask difficult questions and to expect non-hypocritical answers.”

– Caleb J. Lines

 

“Whether welcoming the excluded, inspiring people to totally reevaluate everything they thought they’d ever known, or driving Fundamentalists to distraction, Jack Spong’s example and teachings demanded a response. Thanks, Jack, for modeling the kind of ministry that will continue to change the world!” David Felten

 

“I grew up in a sector of Christianity where Bishop Spong was portrayed as the epitome of theological evil, often by people who had never read his books or listened to him speak. When I found myself similarly characterized, I had the chance to meet many people whose Christian faith had survived because of his work.” – Brian McLaren

 

Bishop Spong said of himself, “I am a believer who knows and loves the Bible deeply. But I also recognize that parts of it have been used to undergird prejudices and to mask violence.”

 

Explore… Mark 10:2–16

• What are the challenging questions you wrestle with? Personally? Within your faith community? In the wider society?
• Where do you seek answers to those challenging questions?
• If the Bible doesn’t give clear answers to many of our difficult questions, how does your faith help you answer such questions?

 

Prayer…

Merciful creator, help us to see all persons as worthy of our love and compassion. May we approach difficult questions with open minds and open hearts. May we be slow to judge and condemn, seeking always to be faithful to the model Jesus showed us. Amen.

 

Learn more…

• John Shelby Spong, 90, Dies…
• www.progressivechristianity.org

From Sandra Rooney

 

Daily we see images of devastating fires, the fury of hurricanes, conflict and drought, all forcing people to leave their homes, many unable to return. Add to that we have the battle to overcome the Covid pandemic. We seem to see political conflict and acrimony everywhere leaving us to wonder how we can possibly breach the divide. Yet in the midst of that reality there are places where the promise of new life is being lived out.

 

From Phoenix, Arizona – where people are divided over mask mandates, the presidential election, and what to do about migrants on the border – comes another story. Hundreds of parishioners at Desert Springs Bible Church, a sprawling megachurch in the northern suburbs of Phoenix, have come together around one issue newly added to the litany above: the need for the United States to take in thousands of Afghan evacuees. Caleb Campbell, the evangelical church’s lead pastor, put it this way: “Even the most right-leaning isolationists within our sphere recognize the level of responsibility that America has to people who sacrificed for the nation’s interest.”

 

Earlier this month the church began a campaign to raise money for the dozens of Afghan families expected to start arriving in the greater Phoenix area soon. It wasn’t long before they had received thousands of dollars for the fund. And they are not alone. The church is part of a newly formed coalition of churches in Phoenix that has committed to providing assistance ranging from groceries, household supplies, and furniture, to navigating the bus system and filling out job applications and everything in between.

 

And this is not an isolated response to the plight of the more than 50,000 Afghans expected to be admitted to the United States in the near future. More than 31,000 have already arrived and are being processed on military bases. Tens of thousands of Americans are offering to help as resettlement agencies scramble to staff up after being all but shut down during the Trump administration. Stepping up to help are all kinds of non-profit groups, churches, synagogues, Girl Scout troops, and neighbourhood groups. From large urban areas on the coasts to small towns in the heartland, community mobilization is crossing traditional political dividing lines.

 

While there are those raising objections, public opinion surveys show broad support for resettling Afghan refugees. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released earlier this month reported 68 percent of respondents said they support taking in the refugees, and 27 percent opposed it. The support included 56 percent of Republicans.

 

Explore… Isaiah 65:17–25

• What images come to your mind when you read this passage?
• What would the reality of this vision mean in today’s world?
• What stories of people working to create such a reality give you hope?
• What is or might your community of faith do to help create such a reality?

 

Prayer…

We pray that we might be the change we want to see. We pray that we may truly believe in the possibility of the vision Isaiah described. In the words of the musical South Pacific, if you don’t have a dream, how can you have a dream come true. Amen.

 

Learn more…

• Americans stretch across political divides to welcome Afghan refugees

From Joan Kessler

 

This week’s Lection Connection is brought to you by the clear blue sky I observed this morning. I live in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia where the summer of 2021 saw intense, record-breaking temperatures, drought conditions, and 300 wildfires burning across the province. Our skies were filled with wood smoke that limited visibility and, at times, blotted out the light from the sun. Evacuation alerts and orders were issued, displacing thousands of residents while firefighters worked valiantly to protect property. The air quality was not conducive to outdoor activities, so we regretfully retreated indoors. We watched for signs of local fires, packed our “go bags” in preparation to leave at a moment’s notice if necessary, and waited for a drop in the temperatures and rain to fall.

 

But I wondered about the birds, which were noticeably absent. The robins that normally provided countless moments of entertainment in the evergreen beyond my patio had vacated. The eagles and the ospreys that soared on the breeze above the lake with little effort noticeably absent. Where did all the birds go?

 

They flew away. It is my hope and prayer they found better living conditions. Birds, I discovered, have a greater lung capacity to that of humans and are able to breathe at higher altitudes. According to the National Audubon Society, wildfires can claim weaker birds or nestlings. The long-term effects of wildfire smoke on bird populations are presently understudied. But we can surmise that the destruction of habitat due to wildfires will see species relocate, and maybe delay their return to their previous nesting areas.

 

On this Sky Sunday, I will not be taking the blue sphere that surrounds me for granted. The sky is everything that lies above the surface of the earth and as far as the eye can see. To see in full detail the mountains across the lake from my home , unimpeded by smoke and haze, is a gift I treasure this Season of Creation. The climate crisis is increasing the number and severity of wildfires, and the fires in turn are destroying more habitats in their wake. But we wait and we watch for life to return, for skies to clear of smoke. We live under one sky as a human race. How shall we protect this precious shield that keeps us safe and sustains all life?

 

Explore… Jeremiah 4:23–28

• Have you looked up at your sky today? What do you see?
• When we consider the future of the planet, from where does our hope come?

 

Prayer…

When I look up at the sky, I feel you, all-knowing, all-giving, all-creating, all-loving One. May we walk diligently the path of stewardship and care of creation, reducing our waste, rearranging our wants, that we might save this precious gift we have for those coming after us. May our laments for the environmental crisis be replaced with careful action. Amen.

 

Learn more…

• How wildfires affect birds 
• BC wildfires cause for concern for wildlife 

From Joan Kessler

 

Imagine Van Gogh is a digitally curated exhibition touring parts of Canada this summer that showcases the work of Vincent Van Gogh. Visitors wander amongst giant projections of the artist’s most well-known and beloved masterpieces, such as Sunflowers and Starry Night. The looping images accompanied by orchestral music creates an immersive experience where all senses are fully awakened. Hearing from friends and family who visited the exhibition, they describe being in the presence of the vivid colour and brushstrokes of one of the world’s greatest artists as a very moving, even spiritual experience.

 

Vincent Van Gogh lived a short and troubled life before dying by suicide at the age of 37. It was no secret he struggled with mental illness. He became a Protestant missionary and itinerant preacher serving mining communities in southern Belgium. He was a deeply spiritual person who adopted a life of poverty and asceticism, wanting to be “a friend to the poor like Jesus was.” Critics of Imagine Van Gogh question how a humble artist who painted small masterpieces would feel about his work being projected on such a large-scale. Imagine Van Gogh, and other shows like it, use technology to create “artscapes,” making them larger than life. But I wonder where such experiences are taking us. What is our dominion over technology and who is looking out for its responsible stewardship?

 

Immersive art experiences are bringing art to people who perhaps have never visited a gallery before. The relationship between artist and viewer is expanding. I hope this encourages you to visit a local gallery or Imagine Van Gogh should it be accessible to you. Art is an important and necessary part of our spiritual landscapes, increasing our understanding and compassion for the viewpoints of another, and reminding us of the responsibility we have been entrusted with by Creator for our planet Earth.

 

Explore… Genesis 1:26–28

• Can you recall a work of art that inspired in you a sense of awe and wonder and perhaps a sense of the Holy?
• What creative processes do you enjoy and how do they shape your relationship to your environment?
• What things does your faith community undertake as stewards of Creation? What needs are unaddressed?

 

Prayer…

Wondrous God, may we know what it is to be fully human. In moments of awe and wonder that take our breath away, be known to us. And in our knowing, may we remember our responsibility to preserve the planet Earth we call home. Made in your likeness and image we pray these things. Amen.

 

Learn more…

• Imagine Van Gogh website 
• Be prepared for the immersive Van Gogh 

From Paul Turley

 

“There was nothing to stop us, unless we stopped ourselves, and sadly, we have not. Vast swathes of forest have been cleared, waters polluted, species driven extinct. Even our oceans are wrought having been treated as humanity’s toilet bowl for the past millennia, 90% of fish are gone and corals are being bleached white. By 1997, only 46% of the planet’s wilderness remained. 70% of the birds on the planet are domestic – we’ve replaced the wild with the tame”

 

These are the words of David Attenborough from his most recent documentary A Life on Our Planet.

 

Any sane and thoughtful human being with access to news media knows that what Attenborough is saying is beyond dispute. The media coverage of the latest report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, released this month, underlines what we already know and tells us again how urgent it is for the government and peoples of the world to act in the interest of the planet and of our own survival.

 

It is easy for us to be overwhelmed with the complexity of the problem and how much needs to be done and be done immediately. As a reminder that all is not lost, that it is still possible to make the kind of changes we need, I share this piece of news from Australian scientist Tim Flannery. Flannery has for many years been an advocate for seaweed farming as part of the solution to carbon capture. One of his solutions, as detailed in his 2017 book Sunlight and Seaweed − an argument for how to feed, power and clean up the world – is to farm seaweed, which captures carbon, and either harvest it or allow it to sink to the ocean floor which locks up the carbon.

 

In a recent speech to the Australian Museum in Sydney, Australia, Flannery gave us this hopeful account: “Now, we’ve heard a little bit about seaweed farming today, we’ve heard about Sam Elsom and his marvellous red seaweed farm off Tasmania. Sam Elsom, he was a fashion designer until about five years ago. He came with a climate council to Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef and he heard me talk about seaweed… And he decided, as a result of that, to change his whole career. He gave away fashion design; he went into seaweed farming. And what he has done is develop a farm of a particular red seaweed called Asparagopsis… It has the peculiar property of producing a bromine compound that stops the bacteria that live in the rumen of cows from producing methane. [Only a tiny amount of that compound] reduces the methane emissions in cattle by 98.8%. [W]hile that’s great news for methane emissions, it’s also really good news for farmers because all of that energy in the methane that is normally lost to the cow actually gets returned to the cow. So it’s like giving a cow 20% more food… So you need to feed it less, it’s healthier, it grows faster, it’s a great outcome… [T]hat’s just one seaweed solution, but the world is full of potential seaweed solutions.

 

Explore… Genesis 1:1–25

• The first words of Genesis chapter one can be translated as “In the beginning when God created.” And as “In the beginning when God began to create.” What do these different translations evoke for you?
• In the second verse of Genesis 1, the words can be translated as “while a wind from God” or as “while the spirit of God,” or as “while a mighty wind.” What do these different translations evoke for you?

 

Prayer…

God of the great creation, and the everyday creation, and the heart and all that ever was and is, we raise our voices in thanks and gratitude for the miracle of life. For the life of the earth and the life of each other. May today we have a revelation that we are – the earth is made, as Julian of Norwich told us not just by God but of God. Amen.

 

Learn more…

• Solutions for the emerging climate disaster 
• David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet: Trailer 
• Seaweeds beckon tomorrow’s farmers 

From Paul Turley

 

The words “let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger” were written nearly 2,000 years ago, but they could have been written for the social media age. I wonder how the social media landscape might look if these words from the Letter of James were emblazoned on our social media apps?

 

In the last few weeks, one social media site, Instagram, has announced new measures to try and deal with abusive and racist content being uploaded by users.

 

What the Facebook owned site is calling “tools” are designed to allow users to block on their accounts comments and images that are abusive and offensive. They will also provide users with an easy way to temporarily lock down their accounts when they’re targeted with a flood of harassment.

 

This flooding is often experienced by sports people and other high-profile users. During and following the recent Euro 2020 final, several England footballers were viciously harassed by angry fans after the team’s defeat. The incidents, which had included racist comments and emoji, raised awareness of how little Instagram users could do to protect themselves when they’ve gone viral in a negative way.

 

Instagram is also updating its policy around showing warnings when users try to post a potentially offensive comment. The platform will now show a “stronger warning” on a first attempt that was previously shown only after a second or third attempt. 

The photo-sharing platform is also expanding its “Hidden Words” feature, which allows users to automatically filter offensive words, phrases and emojis into a folder.

While welcomed by users and experts, some say it is too little and too late. Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said in an interview: “Retrospectively fixing an online safety issue is like trying to close the stable door after the horse has bolted.”

As several other countries are now doing, Australia, as of January 2022, when the Australian Online Safety Act comes into effect, will have new powers to order digital platforms to remove abusive material. The new legislation regulates cyber-bullying of children, livestream broadcasts that could promote or incite extreme violence, and creates a complaint-based system for removing harmful material.

 

Explore… James 1:17–27

• How do you understand the statement in our text, “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above”?
• How does your faith community live out the idea of “the law of liberty”?
• There are many names and titles given to God in the scriptures, why do you think the author of James employs “Father of lights”?

 

Prayer...

God of truth and of love, teach us to be communities of both truth and love. Teach us to be gentle with each other and ourselves. Teach us how to live in the truth of your love for all your creation. Amen.

 

Learn more…

• Instagram rolls out more anti-abuse features 
• Protecting our community from abuse on Instagram 
• Instagram launches new tools in response to racist abuse 
• Update on our work to tackle abuse on Instagram 

From Paul Turley

 

If you own shares in a company, if you risk your money, shouldn’t you have a say in how that money is spent? That is the view of the growing shareholder activist moment around the world.

 

The aim is straightforward: buy shares in a company whose activities you would like to see change and then lobby for that change among other shareholders, at shareholder meetings and in the courts.

 

This year, shareholders who want companies and corporations to take climate change and its mitigation seriously have had some wins.

 

At the end of May 2021, in Australia, courts ruled that the country’s environment minister has an obligation to children to consider the harm caused by climate change as part of her decision-making in approving the expansion of a new coal mine. This is the first ruling of its kind in Australia and one of the first in the world.

 

In the Netherlands, a court ruled that Dutch company Royal Dutch Shell needs to accelerate cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.

 

In the USA, Exxon Mobil is viewed among many environmentalists as a laggard having yet to join with competitors such as BP PLC, ConocoPhillips, and Royal Dutch Shell’s U.S. arm, in a corporate-environmental coalition urging the U.S. Congress to require limits on greenhouse gases tied to global warming. But even in this company shareholders are calling for change with questions being asked at a recent meeting as to why Exxon Mobil doesn’t use more of its vast research and development resources to help solve the climate-change threat. To not do so, the questioners argued, threatens the company’s long-term financial health. At that same meeting, Exxon Mobil saw at least two board seats go to hedge funds working for environmental change.

 

A report by Westwood Global Energy Group, released this week says that development of new pipelines in North America will be “relatively subdued.” The report cites the fact that virtually every major North American crude oil pipeline has faced pressure from local activists and environmental groups over the past decade. Earlier this year, U.S. President Joe Biden cancelled the 1,947-kilometre Keystone XL pipeline.

 

Also in the last couple of months, the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, released a report that begins, “The recent successes of shareholder activists against Big Oil this proxy season are one of many signs of mounting and effective pressure from investors on public companies to enhance their performance and disclosures on environmental, social, and governance (ESG).”

 

It is not hard to see the work of these activists as the putting on of the kind of defensive armour of which Ephesians speaks… 

 

Explore… Ephesians 6:10–20

• The way our text speaks of the amour of God, it seems to be armour for defence rather than attack. What does this kind of power look like in your local community and nation?
• Prayer seems to be the energy source for the ones who wear the armour of God. What does it mean practically for you to, “Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication?”
• What is your denomination’s position on ethical investing? Does your denomination or faith community have a group that speaks and lobbies for the health of the environment?

 

Prayer…

God of the cosmos, we sing that you have the whole world in your hands. We pray today that we will have the wisdom, forethought, and courage to speak and act for the whole of the world that you hold so carefully and lovingly. Amen.

 

Read more…

• Shareholders challenge Exxon Mobile on climate 
• North America about to turn into a graveyard of mega pipeline projects 
• Shareholder activism and ESG: What comes next and how to prepare 

From Fraser Macnaughton

 

The wonderfully comedic show Modern Family continues to throw up conundrums which we all have face, although thankfully not in such extreme fashion! Modern Family has gone down as one of the best comedies on television, right next to shows such as Friends, The Office, and The Big Bang Theory.

 

One part of the family has the “patriarch” and his younger Colombian wife and her son as well as their young son. Another part comprises two stressed out, work-hungry parents and their three teenage children. The final branch is a gay couple who have adopted a little Asian girl. Like many modern families.

 

In one of the many memorable episodes (Season 3 Episode 1), we see the whole family decant to rural Wyoming to the Lost Creek Dude Ranch to spend some quality time together. Family expectations vary enormously, especially when Hank, the “real, live cowboy” hoves into view.

 

As one might imagine, rural life came as a bit of shock to those family members used to life in suburban L.A. But as with most episodes, the “moral tale” is that despite their differences and various experiences, spending time well with family (even if well outside their comfort zone) was a positive thing. Shooting skeets, roping and rounding up cattle are among some of the antics Hank gets them into. We see patriarch Jay riding a horse bareback with his just-about-tolerated son-in-law Phil, an experience which Phil thinks cements him into Jay’s close circle.

 

Meanwhile mother-of-three Claire has to come to terms with her elder daughter’s boyfriend, the slightly wacky but endearing Dylan, who mistakenly thinks she is hitting on him.

 

While theatric gay father Cam is happy in the great outdoors, partner Mitchell struggles with the “manly” pursuits of the outdoor life. Never living up to the expectations of his dad, Jay, the prospect of adopting a male child leaves him feeling caught between generations and not being a “rough and tumble” kind of guy.

 

In Modern Family, things are never simple nor clear-cut. Misunderstanding abounds and wisdom is often found amongst the least expected members of the family. What shines through, however, is the strength of being willing to forgive, to persevere to reach solutions, and to put aside personal opinions in order to see the point of view of others. Despite all their differences, the family, deep down, like nothing better than spending time well… Together.

 

Explore… Ephesians 5:15–20

• In what ways do your group members navigate through the minefields of modern living?
• How might you affirm difference in the members of your faith community?
• In what ways do you think wisdom can be shared from people or places that would not be expected?

Prayer…

“Under the great big skies we can find a part of ourselves we never knew was there.” Phil Dunphy reflects on the Modern Family’s trip. May we have occasions of our own “great big skies” and be open to the workings of the Spirit to make us more loving, more accepting of others, and more wise. Truly time spent well. Amen.

 

Learn more…

• Modern Family: Season 3, Episode 1: “Dude Ranch: When Good Kids Go Bad” 
• The complete series of Modern Family is available on Netflix.