Earth be Glad
Facing up to the Environmental Crisis
“Nothing will ever be the same. Don’t be afraid. Turn into the Hope”
Tuesday March 11th 6.00pm -7.30pm
Here at St John’s we are sure that the urgency of the environmental crisis requires us to have a more committed engagement with the issues. Increase in extreme weather patterns, extinction of species, and pressure on global resources are the sort of things we are thinking about. These matters should be at the top of everyone’s list of priorities.
So we are planning to do more to face up to this emergency, and involve more people in thought and action. We are planning a series of events some inspirational, some practical, some educational, some theological and some no doubt straddling these interconnected descriptions. We want to involve not just our own congregation but people from businesses, from universities, from churches, from the arts, from schools, from politics – from the whole community.
For religious people the word “repentance” comes to mind. But, religious or not, what is needed is a change of heart, a change of life-style and a change in public discourse. People of faith have a role to play, but so do we all – faith or none.
We therefore are inviting you to the meeting that will launch this undertaking. There will be a key-note presentation, some practical points, time for questions and discussion and information about what is planned next.
The launch meeting will be on Tuesday, 11 March 2014, in St John’s Church, Princes Street, from 6.00 – 7.30. We have chosen this time, after discussion, in the hope that people will be able to come after work. Please do not stay away because you may be a little bit late. Even if you’re not able to come to the event but would like to be involved, let us know (contact information below) and we will keep you in the loop. And invite and bring friends.
Church people will notice that this coincides with the start of Lent, and that is not a coincidence. But we do not see this as a particularly churchy thing that we are doing, and we do not see it ending at Easter.
This is just the beginning. More will and can be done: by you. We want your ideas and your involvement for a movement to turn us around away from the abyss.
We very much look forward to seeing you.
Markus Dünzkofer (Rector of St Johns), George Harris (Convener, St John’s Green Ginger group)
twitter: @earthbeglad
Contact: office@stjohns-edinburgh.org.uk or phone 0131 229 7565 for more information.