It is this hunger and thirst that drives us to care for human beings, made in the image of God, who are suffering, and will suffer, owing to climate change. There is a hunger and thirst for righteousness in the Kingdom of God. Our motivation for action and engagement is one that is deeply rooted in justice for humanity and the whole of creation. Our Christian calling to seek justice for our neighbour means we need to do all we can to try to turn the tide. If the politicians want any environmental credibility, at home and on the world stage, it is time to take action now, not delay and procrastinate, storing up even more problems for future generations. In May, Sir Keir Starmer committed to halt new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea however, Labour has since confirmed that it would not revoke the subsequent licences announced by Mr Sunak.

The Prime Minister has announced a delay to some of the Government’s biggest Net Zero commitments, including the ban on new petrol and diesel cars, and phasing out gas boilers. Last month, when wildfires were in the news, the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, committed to granting more than 100 licences for North Sea oil and gas extraction.

YET, it appears that our political leaders lack the will to enact change, and that Net Zero is being used as a political football in advance of the next General Election. We can act to limit carbon emissions, but we must do it now. Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a “final warning” on the climate crisis in a report earlier this year. The need to act is urgent, but not too late. It is an urgent challenge, it cannot be postponed, it concerns everyone. The Pope added his voice at the end of his Angelus message to crowds in St Peter’s Square, in July, saying: “Please, I renew my appeal to world leaders to do something more concrete to limit polluting emissions. “Action on climate change is no longer a luxury but a must.” “The extreme weather which has affected many millions of people in July is unfortunately the harsh reality of climate change and a foretaste of the future,” the World Meteorological Organization secretary-general, Professor Petteri Taalas, said. As things get worse, there will be more human misery, compounded by violence, war, and migration. More than three billion people worldwide now live in places that are vulnerable to climate breakdown. New data is showing that the Arctic ice-sheet is thinning twice as fast as previously thought. Health officials sounded alarms from North America to Europe and Asia. Other countries were simultaneously deluged with rain. At least 115 people died in Hawaii owing to wildfires in August. The weeks-long heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures fuelled deadly wildfires. July was the hottest month ever recorded, with the global average temperature reaching 16.95☌, some 0.33☌ higher than the previous record set in 2019. This year has seen weeks of record-breaking heat, coinciding with deadly storms. The ill-health of our common home is all too apparent in our daily news bulletins. As we give thanks for God’s gift of the fruit of the earth, so this can be a time to renew our commitment to caring for the earth. This is also the season for celebrating Harvest Festival in many churches. Just as tributaries come together to form a mighty river, every person, family or Christian community can be part of this great movement. The theme this year is “Let justice and peace flow”.

The season began on 1 September, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and ends on 4 October, the feast of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology.

This season offers an opportunity to pray and respond together to the cry of creation, as Christians around the world unite to listen and care for our common home. During the Season of Creation, will we heed this call to join the river of justice and peace, to pursue climate and ecological justice, and to speak out with and for communities most impacted by climate change and the loss of biodiversity? THIS cry from the Prophet Amos, almost 3000 years ago, still needs to be spoken in our world today. “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5.24)

Poems of an church usher