Week Three

Green — Gleaning and gleaming!

Are you dreaming of a green Christmas? 

Joseph’s dreamt, Mary's sung, and now they are out on the road through God's green world displaced and (in Mary’s case) heavily pregnant! As we think about our wide green world and the populations that are still being displaced upon it we want to find the bright lights shining for climate justice, global equality and mutual sustainable thriving! 

Do we want a materialistic Christmas destined for Boxing Day landfill, or do we want to be drawn into the brightness of a green, evergreen Christmas that shines bright for our whole world?

SEEDS TO SOW: This week consider how you can support organisations like Tearfund or the Vine Trust who tackle poverty and injustice and champion sustainable development.

Read Luke 2: 1-5

In those days and these days...

Empires make decrees and lives are thrown into chaos. It happened then. It happens now.

It’s intriguing in this story of divine power that we see the the chain of command, the hierarchical infrastructure of the empire. Our King, our new ruler,  is about to be born in a lowly stable without any staff or advisers let alone an army of bureaucrats (and actual soldiers). In the Nativity the empire is the sideshow — the real event is happening with some bright lights in a wee stable.

Just like weather and geography, our lives are shaped by politics and history. But our politics and history go further in that they also shape our weather and geography! The consequences of disrupted ecosystems is a strain on our climate, economies and societies. Our big bright green world is a beautiful place one that needs our help to stay evergreen.

Sadly we live in a world full of displaced people who are shunted back and forth like Mary and Joseph. One of the biggest contributors to displacement is pressure brought on homes and livelihoods from a volatile climate.

What is our prayer today for those people? What is our prayer of brightness in the darkness? What is our prayer for evergreen solutions?

Read Leviticus 19: 9-10

21st Century Gleaning?

How can we leave spaces for others to ‘glean’ in the 21st century? Both globally and locally. This gleaning might be agricultural — addressing hunger and inequality — but there are also other resources we have that could be shared better too.

Read Leviticus 19: 33-24

Time to be green and glean and gleam!

Human beings are bright precious things! How can we recognise the brightness and preciousness of the human beings around us who have come from far?

What are practical things we can do to help displaced communities, especially ones who have sought refuge near us.