Sitting in church this morning, we sang the Phil Wickham song ‘Cannons’. It was introduced as an old song, which made me feel old, as I remembered singing it when it was a brand new song, but that’s a rabbit hole that I’m not going down today. The lyrics include the line “The moon and stars declare who you are”, my mind immediately began thinking about a couple of tv series that we’ve been watching, that were set in Canada and Alaska. They were both worth watching, if only for the amazing nighttime shots of the skies, which were filled with a multitude of stars. Being mainly urban dwellers, many of us miss the beauty and majesty of the night sky, but when I have the opportunity to witness it, either physically or through media, I am always struck by a sense of awe and wonder.
As the song continued, I was particularly struck by a thought about one of the tv shows, Outlast, which is currently available on Netflix. We binged the 8 parts over a few evenings this week. We’d discovered the show, whilst watching Gogglebox. Yes, we watch a tv show about people watching tv, and that’s another rabbit hole I’m not going down today. Outlast, for those who’ve not seen or heard of it, features 16 individuals who are split into 4 teams and are placed into a remote area of Alaska, it’s a survival show where they have to build shelters, forage and hunt for food etc over a 5-6 week period at the end of autumn, so the weather is beginning to turn and temperatures are dropping. Apart from the amazing scenery and the nighttime skies, the most interesting thing is how quickly people begin showing the worst traits of humanity. Stealing sleeping bags from other teams, plotting how to demoralise other teams, and through lying and cheating. What a sad reflection on man’s (or woman’s) inhumanity to man. But at the same time, some of the contestants showed the good sides of humanity, choosing to leave the show, rather than lowering themselves to the level of those around them.
This was all at the back of my mind, as the service continued. Towards the end of his talk this morning, our pastor shared a quote from James Gustavia Speth (a professor of law and a former Dean of the Yale school of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and a winner of the Blue Planet Prize). He said “I used to think that the top environmental problems were biodiversity, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that 30 years of good science could address those problems. I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy and to deal with these we need a cultural and spiritual transformation, and we scientists don’t know how to do that.”
Suddenly, all these random thoughts and questions were being brought together. We desperately need a cultural and spiritual transformation. It’s up to each of us to be a part of that transformation, not leaving it to the experts. We can make a difference by displaying love and respect for both the planet and humanity. We need to be recognised for our integrity and being prepared to get our hands dirty.
This blog was inspired by:- Outlast - Netflix; Race Across The World - BBC
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