Congregational Life Centre
Our mission is to encourage possibilities
Practicing Reverence
An ethic for sustainable earth communities
Ross
Smillie, the author of this new book from Wood Lake Publishing, captured
me with this humour at the beginning of the introduction:
A plane filled with passengers hit some severe turbulence during the
flight. There was a bright flash of light and an alarming loud bang. The
pilot came on the intercom and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I have
some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that we were hit by lightning
and all of our navigational and communications instruments are shorted out.
We have no radio, no compass, no GPS. We have no idea where we are or what
direction we are going in." The captain paused, and people looked around
nervously at each other as they absorbed the news. Then the captain continued,
"But the good news is that we do know our airspeed, and we are making
very good time."
Ross feels this "encapsulates the spirit of our times." Where
are we going in the church? Where is society going? We do know we are getting
there in a real rush as everything speeds up from individual agendas to
global communications.
Ross Smillie's prescription is to examine our ecosystems, the forests, wetlands, grasslands and deserts that recycle our water and keep growing things healthy. For him, the healthy communities we cherish have to be embedded within thriving natural systems. "When natural systems are healthy, we have the best chance of enjoying good health and good life."
There is documentation aplenty in the book of the ecological problems we face. One-third of the carbon dioxide being emitted into our atmosphere is absorbed by the oceans, turning them slightly more acidic and threatening important sea life like coral. We are over-fishing our oceans, over-cultivating our land, and over-polluting our air. The question is then, what can we do about it?
Smillie's answer has to do with ethics - "what is right and good and fair, what makes for a good life. Exploring the field of ethics can help us learn to live a life that is good for individuals, communities, other creatures, and the natural systems of which we are a part."
A key issue for society today is its emphasis on the rights of the individual over against what creates strong community. The book reminds us that we are social creatures, and the emphasis on individualism has led to much loneliness and isolation. This is a place where the church can play a key role, providing a place where people can be accepted for who they are and find a community that supports their development as whole human beings.
For someone interested in what it means to be an ethical human being in this changing world of ours, this book offers many insights. I found it an interesting read on its own, but I suspect it would yield the greatest benefit to those who took the time to be part of a study group moving through it at a thoughtful pace. The book ends with these words:
In converting to a life that is more respectfully integrated into the
ecosystems of which we are a part, the journey we need to make will be less
like walking a straight path and more like walking the narrow and twisting
path of a labyrinth. For as we seek to leave behind economic, technological,
and religious practices that are destructive of the ecosystems on which
we depend, it is not at all clear what new practices will sustain us. We
need to embark on a journey whose destination is not clear. We will need
to change and change again, trusting that even dead ends will still help
us in the process of our transformation. If the turning spoken of in the
old Shaker hymn can stand for our transformation then it may indeed be that
"to turn, turn will be our delight, 'til by turning, turning we come
round right."
Ross Smillie leads the ministry team at St. Andrew's United Church in
Lacombe, Alberta. Practicing Reverence is available from Amazon.com for
$21.24.
"Leadership Ventures" Congregational Life Newsletter. January 2012. Volume 18 No. 3.