Let us be human

A small group of us from St John's Seven Kings spent the day on Mersea Island today with Sam Norton. Sam challenged us with his thinking about Christian responses to contemporary crises during the morning, we then enjoyed visiting the beach and harbour on what was a beautifully sunny day before returning to a St Peter & St Paul West Mersea which was attractively decorated for Harvest in order to share communion together as Christ commanded and as the formative act for us as Christians.

Much of what Sam had to say is summed up in this quote from his most recent post:

"The solution to our predicament does not lie in any scheme which has as its final purpose the preservation of the environment. Rather, our foremost task is to learn again what it means to live as a human being, by following the example of the one who lived a fully human life (hence 'Let us be Human'). The most important contribution that the church can make is to name the powers that are destroying us, to identify all the ways in which our civilisation has become disordered and which prevent us becoming fully human. In other words, it is discipleship that is lacking, not a particular program for planetary preservation. This has what might seem a surprising conclusion, but one that I mean with all seriousness: the God-given way to 'save the planet' is by celebrating the eucharist, and allowing it to form us. If we repent and return to faithful living then the environmental problems will resolve themselves (“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” - 2 Chronicles 7.14)."

Similarly, this Thomas Merton quote which Sam used in his talk:

"The only thing that can save the world from complete moral collapse is a spiritual revolution. Christianity, by its very nature, demands such a revolution. If Christians would all live up to what they profess to believe, the revolution would happen." (From: Ascent to Truth)


For more extensive notes of material that Sam summarised and shared with us, click here.
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Leonard Cohen - The Future.