Dear Friends -
I’ve just finished lunch and have treated myself to a few British strawberries that I bought on impulse earlier today. Without coming over all jingoistic, I was blown away by the sweetness of these home produced berries, a flavour that far surpassed those which are imported from countries near and far. Whilst our home fruit producing season might be fleeting, to me nothing beats the patient wait for fruit that is produced locally. The trouble is that these days as consumers, we believe we have a right to purchase goods when we want and from wherever we want, whatever the environmental cost. Gone are the days of fruit in season, and then living later off that which has been bottled.
In our service last Sunday, in our traditional “hands” confession, we prayed;
"We are sorry for the times we have kept things selfishly to ourselves and not been prepared to give to those who need our help.”
Usually, we think of confession as an acceptance of our individual failures. However I pondered as to whether as a privileged country, with huge consumer power, we should acknowledge before God our arrogance and sin in assuming that we have a right to demand produce at whatever times and in whatever quantities, regardless of the cost to God’s earth, and indeed other countries too.
May we in all our choices, seek to value both the produce of the land, and the land itself.
Keep safe
Keep in touch
Keep the faith.
Simon
P.S. Musings will now take a break over the rest of the summer; wherever & whatever you find yourself doing, may you know God’s blessing in it.
I’ve just finished lunch and have treated myself to a few British strawberries that I bought on impulse earlier today. Without coming over all jingoistic, I was blown away by the sweetness of these home produced berries, a flavour that far surpassed those which are imported from countries near and far. Whilst our home fruit producing season might be fleeting, to me nothing beats the patient wait for fruit that is produced locally. The trouble is that these days as consumers, we believe we have a right to purchase goods when we want and from wherever we want, whatever the environmental cost. Gone are the days of fruit in season, and then living later off that which has been bottled.
In our service last Sunday, in our traditional “hands” confession, we prayed;
"We are sorry for the times we have kept things selfishly to ourselves and not been prepared to give to those who need our help.”
Usually, we think of confession as an acceptance of our individual failures. However I pondered as to whether as a privileged country, with huge consumer power, we should acknowledge before God our arrogance and sin in assuming that we have a right to demand produce at whatever times and in whatever quantities, regardless of the cost to God’s earth, and indeed other countries too.
May we in all our choices, seek to value both the produce of the land, and the land itself.
Keep safe
Keep in touch
Keep the faith.
Simon
P.S. Musings will now take a break over the rest of the summer; wherever & whatever you find yourself doing, may you know God’s blessing in it.
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