The other week I watched an interesting television programme: the human footprint. What impact do we have on the world during our average 80 years or so of life?
I’m not sure if YOU saw the programme, but I was fascinated by some of the statistics:
The average Briton will, during their lifetime consume
1,200 chickens
3 herds of cattle
2,327 kg of potatoes
4,283 loaves of bread
10,000 choc bars The chocolate bar figure does seem a bit optimistic!
These are only averages of course. You or I might exceed or not reach these limits.
I’m sure my grandmother drank more than the expected number of cups of tea: 74,802
Some here this morning will consume more than the expected pints of beer: 10,351
We’ll each produce about 40 tonnes of waste for landfill, own about 8 cars each (embarrassingly I’ve exceeded that already!); own 3.5 washing machines, 4.8 TV; 15 computers.
How we’ll spend out time is just as interesting: we’ll spend 8 yrs watch TV; and drive on av about 452,662 miles; we’ll walk on average 15,464 miles (as far as Indonesia and back again). We’ll read 533 books and 2,455 newspapers
All this we do without really being conscious of it. I might be aware that I currently own my 8th motor vehicle, but down the pub next week I’m not going to suddenly say, ‘Oh, this is my 8,000th pint of Lager!’ am I?
But I’m glad I watched the programme. I’m not sure how they worked all that out, but it’s not a bad thing for us to stop and think how much we are consuming, how much waste we are creating, and how we are spending our time and money.
Questions like, ‘what is my footprint?’ or ‘what impact am I having?’ are the sorts of questions we should be asking ourselves. Increasingly, for environmental reasons alone I suppose, we will be asking ourselves such questions more and more in the future. Because, whether we are conscious of it or not, we DO make an impact.
In a related way we are addressing a similar question at this Flower Festival, with our theme: They made a difference.
We all, whether we are conscious of it or not, are
making a difference in the world for good or ill. The people whose lives have
been chosen as subjects for these arrangements have also made a difference.
People like Gladys Aylward and Octavia Hill .. their lives made a difference in their own time … and they have been remembered.
To turn to today’s Gospel, according to Jesus how we will be known will be by how we interact with others.
Jesus gives us this new commandment which is to be the framework around which we are to live our lives.
(v. 34-35) “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another … just as I have loved you … by this everyone will know that you are my disciples …”
The return of Jesus to the Father will deprive his followers of his bodily presence (v.33) and yet it will also be an opportunity to love one another. Jesus’ commandment is not new in the sense that no one had known before about this love of God. They had known. Rather, this commandment indicates that from now on love will be the foundation of a new order – we will be known not by birth or law or certain rituals – but by love.
This love will characterise us as followers of God.
And we certainly have the opportunity to share
this love of God.
Apparently in an average lifetime we will form 1,700 friendships. These are not just acquaintances but people we know well enough to contact if we need them, who indeed we have contacted in the past, and they are people who know us in return. 1,700 friendships in a lifetime.
As part of these relationships we will each speak 123 Million words in a lifetime. This figure is a bit difficult to get my head around so the daily figure is 4,300 words a day.
Now I’m not looking at anyone in particular, but some people will speak a lot more than 4,300 words a day!
These words can be used to encourage, build up and nurture; or they can be used to hurt, break down or discourage. It’s up to us. We have plenty of words to use and plenty of people to whom we can bear witness to the love & faith that is in us.
So life, the rest of our life, can be seen as a blank canvass on which to bear witness to this God of love. Think of the impact we can have on the enormous number of people around us in a lifetime, with all these words, to witness to this God of love!
The people whose lives we celebrate in this Flower festival are people who have used the life given to them – it’s years, words, friendships, to make a difference in their situation.
This commandment that we hear again this morning, this great commandment, calls us to live credible lives based on Christ’s example. To show this love of God’s in the way we treat people; the way we work; and talk to people. Others should be able to see evidence of the faith and the love that is in us as we do all these things.
Robert Manning, CS Lewis, Trevor Huddleston, Edith Cavell: their lives have each reflected some part of Christ’s life.
For CS Lewis. He had, through his own life, gained many insights into suffering and pain. He identified with Christ’s suffering which helped him bear his own pain. Thankfully he also had the gift of a writer and teacher … so he was able to share these insights.
Florence Nightingale. She had the gift of healing and of courage and was able to offer self-giving service in a selfless way, after the imitation of Christ in his servant ministry.
So we pay tribute to those whose lives are celebrated here.
We ask though, that in this Flower Festival and in our other ministries, we will be an authentic witness to this person Jesus Christ. May we use every opportunity given to us in this life (and there are many) to make a difference for God.
A Prayer of Bishop Westcott
Almighty and most merciful God, who hast given us a new commandment that we should love one another: Give us also grace that we may fulfil it. Make us gentle, courteous and forbearing. Direct our lives so that we may look to the good in others in word and deed. And hallow all our friendships by the blessing of thy Spirit; for his sake who loved us and gave himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.