DON'T STOP AT THE LIGHTS
CIWEM Executive Director, Nick Reeves, reviews a new eco-guide
for church leaders.
The Bible is awash with references to water and the environment
so you'd wonder why this new guide for church leaders is necessary.
But it is. After all, even those concerned with creation can never
know too much about the huge environmental challenges we face or be
better prepared for the consequences of humankind's woeful record
in caring for the finite resources of the planet.
Don't Stop at the Lights draws on the Bible and ancient
theological themes to reconnect the church with the natural world
that are the roots of its faith. It addresses legitimate issues for
all faiths at a time when people of the world are looking for
leadership in green affairs, largely abandoned by politicians.
But this is also a practical guide, and cleverly written too.
And for those of other faiths, or no faith, it will surely provide
a fascinating insight into the Christian take on issues requiring
everybody's urgent attention and should be of interest to all. It
includes advice on environmental audits, study notes and hints for
sermons, puts religious festivals in a green context and shows how
to prepare an environmental policy.
Written by former and current environment advisers to the Church
of England, Claire Foster and David Shreeve, this book addresses
action on climate change and enables churches to make it a core
Christian concern. As the Archbishop of Canterbury has said:
'Christians have a fundamental role to play in improving their own
environmental awareness and encouraging it in others.' That being
the case, this book fits the bill completely.
I like this book. I like it a lot. It's written in an inclusive
and easy style and its structure enables it to be digested in
palatable bite-sized chunks. It also assembles resources that can
be used almost anywhere and applies ideas from around the world to
help us all shrink our footprint and re-think the way we live our
lives.
Don't Stop at the Lights by Claire Foster and David Shreeve is
published by Church House Publishing 2008 (ISBN 9780715141380) and
costs £14.99.
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