It is so important for key discoveries to be first dissemininated and then acted on. By tracking mortality rates, Florence was able to demonstrate that soldiers in hospital were dying from preventable diseases, and that she was in a position do something to prevent this. Her understanding of ‘data’ ultimately meant nothing less than fewer soldiers dying. How wonderful – and how foolish of those who stubbornly denied and opposed the facts!

Despite the warnings of myiads of scientists and journalists for many years now of ‘human-induced’ climate change, there are still world leaders – those who have authority to do something about it that is – who deliberately choose to ignore the evidence of statistics and science alike, and who to reject the necessity of stepping up and taking responsibility.

We have all had first hand (and pulverising!) experience of how temperatures have been repeatedly breaking statistical records lately. Statistics show that Europe is the fastest overheating continent of all at the moment, and scientists are quite clear that the current heat wave blazing its way over the European nations is due to climate change, and that at a pace that exceeds the predicted models. They are warning that this summer may actually appear cool compared with what will happen in the future. 

No amount of spin or passionately held beliefs that climate change is a hoax can protect the world from its effects – and in particular from the effects of El Nino, which many are predicting will have severe consequences across the globe this summer – and still more so next year.

(Along similar lines, the same applies at a ‘dogmatic’ level regarding interpretations of indisputable historical events. Holocaust denial is a prime example, of course, with various people making strenuous efforts to ignore or distort factual records and to present various violent people and regimes in a more favourable light.)

Making light of our planetary responsibility because of a belief that we have a “heavenly escape hatch” mentality (or even the notion that a privileged minority will go to Mars! contributes directly to real-world suffering right now.

God never intended us to look upon our time on Earth as being a disposable waiting room which can be done away with while we float away to Heaven. This is a fundamental misunderstanding of Christian eschatology. Biblical theology actually points not towards a disembodied state ‘up there’ but toward a New Earth—a physical, restored creation. Rather than thinking of escaping Earth to go to Heaven, therefore, is to misconstrue the end point, which is all about Heaven coming down to Earth. (See Revelation 21)

Since God’s ultimate plan is to redeem and renew creation, treating the earth like a disposable item misses His heart completely. The very first responsibility God gave humankind was to shamar (keep, guard, and protect) the earth. It was a call to servant-hearted stewardship rather than a license to pillage resources.

Neglecting the planet because of our beleif that “Jesus is coming back” would be the equivalent of someone renting a house trashing it a home because the landlord is absent.

• Since the command to “love your neighbour” and defend the weak and vulnerable lie at the core of our faith, then caring for the climate and the ecosystems they rely on a direct and essential expression of that love.

Environmental catastrophes aren’t just about impersonal ecosystems; they are about people. Anticipating a future restoration should in fact make people more concerned for the present world, rather than less – albeit with the major caveat that all too many who do care end up making the wellbeing of the earth not just their goal but essentially their god.

Requiem for the Earth

As we pray both for those individually affected, and for wiser and more determined corporate responses at this time when political will and spare cash are alike in short supply, I thought that this would be a good time to remind people of Linda Entwistle’s exceptionally beautiful ‘Requiem for the Earth.’ (Hope for the Renewal of the Creation) You can obtain the whole album, go to https://soundportraits.bandcamp.com/track/requiem-aeternam or purchase from the Epiphany site. https://epiphanymusic.org.uk/media

We are living in unparalleled times, when the President of the United States arrogantly refuses to believe indisputable data about such crucial things as climate change. Perhaps economic data will provide more compelling evidence? When it comes to rare earth minerals, he knows full well that it is China that holds all the cards, and hence his great desire to develop his own resources.

‘China accounted for around 69% of the world’s production of rare earth ores in 2023-24. Far behind are the United States (12%), Burma (11%) and Australia (5%). Once these ores have been extracted, they need to be processed to separate, purify and refine each of the rare earths. However, China is the only country that carries out all these stages, with Australia and the United States selling some of their semi-processed ores back to China to complete the refining! China thus produces 85% of the purified light rare earths used worldwide, *and 100% of the heavy rare earths.*

Catalytic car convertors, electric vehicles, defence systems especially F35 fighter jets could not fly without these refined products that are brought in from . . . China! *These are every bit as central to the world’s economic choke points as oil from the Gulf States.

Lord, You have placed such amazing things in the Earth; everything comes out of the earth, and You have helped humans to do the most amazing things with them. Thank You. But they are not equally distributed, and we pray for those who stewards and manage them geographically and economically . We pray that You will be Lord of how rare earth supply a and technology develops – especially as America seeks to snatch and grasp from other nations, and China seeks to maximise the leverage that its supplies afford it.

I found myself thinking the other day of the beautiful prayer, with which President Eisenhower’s began his First Inaugural Address in January 1953.