‘Seek Alt Route’, now that is a sign which is tempting to not notice. Quite often our reaction is, ‘Well, maybe that is not for where I am going,’ so we just continue. Then a few minutes later we come to a traffic hold up and we are stuck.

Well, there have been multiple ‘Seek Alt route’ notices about Climate Change, but we recklessly disregarded them. Our inactive arrogance as a nation, can only be seen as a sin of omission, from a Christian perspective, or maybe even more than that, when we pulled out of the Paris agreement completely, turning our backs on the solutions most of the world were working towards.

This July has been the hottest month, some say for over a 100,000 years, and there can be no doubt left that our earth’s weather is now out of equilibrium. Unfortunately our ‘Alt Route’ choices are so much smaller than they were just five years ago; that is for the wealthy nations, but for the poorer countries, many have no choices left and people are having to leave their homes. A Special Rapporteur to the United Nations, ‘said that of 59.1 million people internally displaced in 2021 across the world, most were displaced by climate-related disasters.’

The needs of so many people in this situation is unfathomable. Jesus taught the parable of a good Samaritan to a lawyer who asked who his neighbor was, and at the conclusion of the parable, Jesus asked the lawyer, Luke 10:36 ‘Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” ³⁷ He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” A sin of omission by the first two travelers was not repeated by the Samaritan.

Some time ago I asked a priest, ‘Why is the church not being pro active towards making people aware of climate change?’ The answer was non comital to any action. I hope that this month of July is seen in the future as a line in the sand when the church recognized it cannot ‘pass by on the other side’ of this present climate reality any longer.

Please, join with me in prayer, that the church would be proactive to meet the needs of those already displaced by the climate change and ways to mitigate and reverse this disaster.

Christine’s News

I am preparing to teach another online icon writing retreat this month. Preparation takes at least a month, since I have to paint the icon and video each step for demonstrations. Then, edit videos, prepare talks, prayers, etc., and on top of that, my participation in the Sarasota gallery has been full on. So, here I sit, feeling ill and exhausted!! God has ways of showing us when to slow down and rest! 😔

To end on a positive note, my Saint James icon is on its way to the new Anglican pilgrimage Center in Santiago, Spain. Saint James is the patron Saint of Spain and his symbols are the scallop shell and the sword.

That’s all for now, now off to rest! Sending love and prayers to each of you, and please keep us in yours!

Love,

Christine and Michael Christine’s Icons Michael’s Photographs