An Invitation to Radical Change
Our Highland Priests make a call for change, with Fr Martell on COP26 itself and Fr Bell on Stewardship of Creation. This week we also celebrate a number of Saints, including Machar and Devenick.
The Rich and the Kingdom (Mark 10:17-30)
In following the progress of the on-going COP26 meeting in Glasgow and planning to attend some events and collect information stall in its public zone, I believe that the Gospel passage of a few weeks ago, has a relevant message for us today.
It is not much that Jesus condemns riches, but the selfish accumulation of wealth. The Christian ideal is for the fair distribution of the goods of the earth, that God has bequeathed to all. We are indeed to follow the principle of the Common Good, which consists of three essential principles:
• Respect for and promotion of the fundamental rights of every person.
• Prosperity, or the development of the temporal goods of society. Adequate levels of the basics to live a decent life in dignity, should be available to all.
• Peace and security of all communities should be ensured.
It is clear however that the existence of significant global inequalities, means that we have collectively failed to live by this principle of justice. The wealthiest 5% of the world's population controls 72.6% of its wealth, with the other 95% trying to survive on the other 28.4%. This of course has catastrophic and long-term consequences for the poor of the earth, including environmental ones. China, the USA, and Germany between them produce over 100 million Tonnes of plastic waste between them, with Higher-Income countries countries producing at least double the mount of plastic waste, than any of the developing countries. Dealing with such waste has indeed become a global industry, such as exports to countries as Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam in South-East Asia. In one State of Malaysia the dumping of toxic waste into a main river, had adverse medical effects upon 4,000 local residents and 111 schools were closed for health reasons. This not only disrupted the education of pupils but also denied them access to the other services through schools, such as feeding programmes. The waste of the richest countries of the world ends up often in the rivers and dumpsites of he poorest of the earth, with poor countries welcoming the payments they receive to take it, causing pollution of water sources, the breathing in of toxic waste from the unregulated burning of waste, bringing more misery upon already poor populations. Pope Francis has rightly highlighted, in Laudato Si, therefore the link between environmental degradation and the devastating impact it has on the poorest of the earth. Therefore he calls for a radical response to what cannot be separated, 'The Cry of the Earth', and 'The Cry of the Poor'. What then can we learn from the encounter between Jesus and the Rich Man in Mark's Gospel?
We can indeed identify with the rich man and empathise. We certainly wouldn't judge him to be a bad, immoral person. He maybe rich, but he doesn't seem to concerned only about himself and enjoying his wealth, just living for the day, for he concerned about Eternal Life. He keeps the Commandments. Also we can take note, that he takes the initiative and approaches our Lord. Deep down in spite of his riches, there is an acknowledgement that something is lacking in his life and so he seeks out Jesus, the Good Master, for guidance. The reply of Jesus is challenging. Yes, the man does have a conscience, he is discerning and follows the Commandments but more is asked of him. Jesus identifies his deep longing and puts the radical challenge to him, to rid himself of the attachment to wealth, on which security and status is built. He is called to let go of wordly things and trust himself purely to the providence of God, to follow Jesus. The man therefore becomes sad, for it is too much to ask of him, and Jesus goes on to shock his own disciples by stating indeed that the accumulation of wealth is an obstacle to the true reception of the Kingdom. Religious belief of the time, was that wealth was a sign of God's favour. The message of Jesus to him and to all of us today is that to truly live out of love, the central command of our Lord, is to go beyond just following the Commandments, to have a conscience, but to free ourselves from worldly attachments, to truly be his follower and servant. We can reflect on what we most value in our lives. Is there any wordly thing, more important than our faith in Jesus Christ?
We are living in unprecedented times, with the double challenge of the on-going Global Pandemic and the Climate Emergency. Cop 26 in Glasgow is the opportunity for Governments to come together and to commit to radical change and I'm sure will we all, in the coming months, look at the fine detail of what has been agreed and the long-term effects, if there has been a unity among nations for the Common Good, for the benefit of all humanity, of creation, to address the economic imbalances and social inequalities that exist. If indeed the necessary measures have been agreed to truly protect and nurture our Common Home. All of us though, are invited to reflect on our prevailing and behaviour, to change what is damaging to our planet, is detrimental to the already struggling masses living in poverty across the world, to give example in whatever communities we live in and minister to. We may feel that the individual and global conversion that is required now is not achievable and too challenging, that is too much of an ask. The Lord though does not leave us struggling alone, 'For people is it impossible, but not for God. For nothing is impossible for God'. We rely at this time on the grace and power of God, at this time, at work always in our world and working through us. What we believe is too great, can be done.
On a practical positive note, the Bishops of Scotland of Scotland, in the lead up to COP26, announced that all Diocese will de-invest from all companies involved with fossil fuels. Such a decision will not be welcomed by some, in a country that still relies on the Oil Industry for jobs and the wealth generated, that supports many communities. It was a bold move and a signal to others that challenging and difficult decisions have to made at this time. This follows the similar of the Bishops of Ireland, taken earlier.
Finally in his recent book, 'Let Us Dream', Pope Francis challenges us and the whole world, that as we slowly recover from Global Pandemic, that it is unacceptable to just to try to build back up again, to where we were before, to recover economic losses. His call is to be bold and to build anew, to have radical structural change on a global scale, that respond to the climate emergency and the injustices of our world. He invite us to work together, to encourage others, to indeed dream big and then bring about a better world, to follow a different path. He asks us all to be a people of hope and of vision.
Fr Damian Martell | St Mary’s Nairn
The Stewardship of Creation in Scripture and Tradition
This is a short excerpt from Fr James Bell’s weekly letter to the congregation of St Mary’s Inverness in which he wrote about creation care from Church’s point of view.
Christians believe that God gave human beings a special responsibility within creation to cultivate it, guard it and use it wisely. This is called stewardship. Man has to work within creation and to look after it:
“God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it”. Genesis 2:15
Humans are given everything for their needs, implying that they can use whatever they want from creation for their survival:
“Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything”. Genesis 9:3
However, as the Earth belongs to God, humans must respect it and hand it back to God unspoiled:
“The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it”. Psalm 24:1
These passages remind us that the Creator God who made all that lives including human beings who have a unique role : taking care of what God has given . The Christian Declaration on Nature drawn up at Assisi in 1986 makes the following points very clearly:
•All creation, both with and without humans, has a close interdependence which was made in this way by God. This harmony of creation is to the glory of God.
•Humans have the role of protecting all created things, not abusing or destroying them.
•All types of exploitation of the world and its resources and all creatures are rejected. Humans must not do anything that risks damage to the world, including nuclear warfare Within the Magisterium of Catholic Church The Roman Catholic Church has responded to the challenges raised by environmental issues by stressing the need for every individual and every nation to play their part.
The important points that the Church makes include the beliefs that:
•Creation has value because it reveals something about God the creator.
•Creation has value in itself.
•Humanity depends on God but everyone has a responsibility for the world and the environment.
Pope John Paul II said: Evangelium Vitae, Section 42 (1995) …the dominion granted to man by the Creator is not an absolute power, nor can one speak of a freedom to 'use and misuse', or to dispose of things as one pleases.
Fr James Bell | St Mary’s Inverness
St Machar and St Devenick, 13th November
Both these Saints are from that golden time of Christian activity in the North of Scotland in the 6th Century. In particular the North East seems to have been one of the major centre’s of Christianity in Scotland, given the sheer number of Pictish Saints recorded.
St Devenick, 6th Century, Feast Day on the 13th November
St Devenick was a contemporary of St Machar and indeed was very close to him. It is said St Devenick and Machar agreed that whilst St Machar would concentrate on the North east, Devenick would spread the gospel in Caithness. This he did but with the request that once he died his body would be borne back to a Church of his friend St Machar and be buried there. Below is an old poem in the Saints honour:
Nocht lang eftire apone a day
(To) sanct Machor a mane cane say:
That sanct Dewynnik In-to Catnes
Thru gret eilde falyeit and ded was;
And quhene he one his dedstra lay,
To thaime that nest war he cane say:
Sene that ye se ded sail me tak,
I coniure you for godis sak
That yhe for na trawall be Irke
To bere my body to sume kirk,
Quharfor sanct Machor has keping,
And pray hyme for the hewynnis king
That he meyne one and thochtfull be
Of his hicht that ye mad to me
Of his gud will at our partyng.
With this of spek he mad ending
And yaulde the gast but mare abad.
And thai that this commawndment had,
To tak his body war nocht Irk
And one a bere brocht till a kirk
That was bot litill fra that place
That befor to thaime lentyne was.
And quhene that sanct Machor this tale
Has herd as I haf tald yu hale,
He mad regrat and had disese.
But, for he durst nocht god disples,
That nycht but slepe all haile he lay
In his prayere, till it wes day:
And in that kirk with fleschely eyne
Full feile brycht angelis he has sene
Flc upe and doune, makand thairc play.
Quhar at the cors of Dewynnik lay.
Thane was sanct Machor blyth and glad
For this fare sicht that he sene had.
And one the morne quhene it was day,
Till his discipulis this cane say:
Lowe we all god, my brothir dere,
That has ws send a gud gestenere!
Tharfor mak we ws redy tyt
Hyme, as a spe afferis, to visidte
And yeld till hyme forout delay
That office that we acht to say
For worthi mene, quhene thai ded are!
With that thai passit furthmare
To the kirk quhar at sanct Machor
The angelis play had sene befor.
Bot thai that the cors brocht thiddire,
With It had gane thar way to-giddir
Ner-by of Creskane to the hill,
And thare abad, to reste in will.
Bot sanct Machor forontyne firste.
Folouit and fand thaime thaire tak reste.
And he and his thar with thame abad
Till thai the seruice all had mad
That to sic deide mene suld parteyne
Ar ony wink come in thar eyne.
And syne bare the cors deuotely
Till a place callit Banchory.
And thare solempni with honoure
Thai grathit for it a sepulture,
And one hyme thare thai mad a kirk.
Quhar god yeit cesis nocht to wirk
Thru his prayere ferleis full fele,
To sek and sar folk gyfand heile.
Mene callis that place quar he lay
Banchory Dewynnik till this day.
God Bless!