Just another rainy day…..
As I write this the rain is pouring down and the sky is grey. Nothing very extraordinary in that I hear you say and I don’t disagree – rainy days are a common occurrence indeed. However over the last few weeks rainy days have been far less common than they usually are. Some of you may have heard that this Spring has been the driest since records began and we certainly have benefited from the dry, sunny weather which for many people has made lockdown just that bit more bearable.
As I have been going on my daily walks it has been lovely to hear children playing in their gardens and as lockdown eases, to see people out and about, having socially distanced walks and picnics with friends and family.
It has felt to me that God has realised how difficult this time of isolation has been and through the provision of good weather has helped us through it.
Of course much as we might be longing for the return of of those warm sunny days we know that we need rain. We take rain for granted in this country – nothing out of the ordinary in waking up to leaden skies and the sound of rain falling.
But in other parts of the world, the sight of rain is extraordinary. It is rare and when it does come it can also bring devastation as parched earth struggles to cope with the onslaught of torrents of water.
Over the last few years we have become more and more aware of the dangers that climate change has brought to creation. There has been a great deal of activism not just in the secular world but also in the church. Indeed this Saturday, the Diocese is hosting an online environmental conference to facilitate discussion around what we can do as Christians to contribute to the climate change agenda both as individuals and as worshiping communities.
Throughout this period of lockdown, one of the positive outcomes has been the benefits that have been seen across the world in terms of the environment. Less traffic both on roads and in the air has resulted in significant improvements in air quality. Less debris in the sea has seen the emergence of cleaner water and the reappearance of marine life that has been long absent.
Wouldn’t be wonderful if these extraordinary improvements actually became ordinary, if we take this opportunity to continue to be mindful of our environment and to see sustained change for the better as far as the climate is concerned.
I am sure that over the coming months and years there will be a great deal of reflection and discussion about the impact of lockdown. My prayer is that the extraordinary positive impact this season has had on creation will become ordinary, that our stewardship of the beautiful world God has given us will become an even greater priority and that we will cherish all aspects of it not just in these times but always.
A Prayer For Water
In the name of God the Creator
whose wet breath breathed life into all things,
We pray about water:
We pray for places where, as in the days of Noah.
water is too plentiful, by flood, hurricane and storm surge.
We pray for places where water is too scarce
as temperatures rise and droughts increase.
We pray for the women and children of today
in many places in the world
who must travel long distances for fresh water.
We remember Hagar, cast off in the wilderness,
her babe thirsting for water.
We remember the Samaritan woman’s bold encounter with Jesus at the well
Given us wisdom to keep our water free-
free from contaminants, free from theft, free from disease.
May water be for ourselves and our neighbours near and far
truly living water. Amen
Johanna Young