Thought for the Week

by Richard Walker – retired Anglican clergyman

Largs Churches Together would be pleased to welcome you to a simple Lent lunch on a Wednesday from noon in Clark Memorial Church Hall. Jesus told his followers that they should love other people. Some of the people God hopes we will love are not yet born and others live a long way away. To love them means looking after the world in which we live.

During the last 250 years humankind has been pumping carbon dioxide into the air. This has absorbed sunlight and heated the atmosphere. There have been many effects including rising sea-levels and more ferocious storms. Unfortunately this global warming is occurring at an increasing rate. We have friends in Malawi. Last year the rains did not come at the usual time. Eventually people sowed their maize seeds but as soon as they had the area was flooded by torrential rain. The seed was washed away. The result is that Malawi and neighbouring countries are suffering from famine. Christian Aid has been helping with famine relief. In low-lying parts of the world such as Pacific islands people are leaving their flooded islands and becoming refugees.

The answer is to stop climate destabilisation. This can be done only if the whole world, especially the wealthier parts such as us, stops burning fossil fuels. We need to get electricity from renewable sources such as hydro, wind, solar and tidal. We need to stop burning petroleum products. It is a matter for governments but also every individual.

This Lent let us all think how we can align our lives with God’s hopes of us.