Bishop of Birmingham David Urquhart spreads the 'green gospel'

Nov 24 2008 by Patrice John, Birmingham Post

issues surrounding buying locally and seasonally and so I’ve started to embrace this as much as possible.

“For example tomatoes are one of my favourite foods, but they are currently out of season so for the first time I’ve chosen to stop buying what I like and swapping it for seasonal produce.

“These are simple changes that anyone can make to the way they consume goods.”

It is this desire to change the way people consume which has lead the Bishop to host the Big Green Giveaway at the end of this month.

Bishop David and the organisation Operation Noah will be encouraging shoppers to bring unwanted gifts to Birmingham Cathedral instead of buying presents.

People will be encouraged to bring unused gifts, mistake buys or even once-read books to the giveaway on Saturday (November 29), at 10.45am.

He says: “This is about helping us understand that giving and receiving presents is an enjoyable activity, but at the same time we want people to give and receive presents that are useful and long lasting.

“Many of us have things in our homes which we do not use and so I am encouraging people from all over the city to bring gifts to the city centre so they can be passed on to people that need them.

“We are hoping as many people as possible come and participate in this as we really want everyone to get involved.

“This is a great way to encourage sustainability and I believe it is important for myself and other Christians to take care of creation and reduce the amount of waste we produce. I also believe it is right for me – as Bishop – to set an example for others.

“People can still enjoy Christmas as it supplies all of our needs – but our main needs for love and forgiveness are supplied through the person of Jesus Christ.

“Those are the two greatest needs of the human soul and they have both been supplied for free.”

The Christian church has always been engaged in debates on national issues and Bishop David says there is no shortage of debate on the issues to do with energy use and how the planet will be sustained.

“Christians are becoming increasingly aware of what is happening to their surroundings and they need to do something about the long-term sustainability of their city and the country,” he says.

“There are long-running debates about sources of energy and there are those who are thinking about the use of nuclear power and whether the government should focus on developing more nuclear plants.

“There are others who advocate wind farms and renewable sources of energy and the clergy are prepared to debate this.

“Churches also want to encourage people to live more appropriately in terms of the amounts they consume. Some look at this from a theological perspective while others examine it from a campaigning point of view.”

Bishop David says Christians are particularly concerned about consumerism and the fact it can damage society.

He says: “Christians have a general unease about consumerism as it is linked to an ideology that advocates the individual is tied to what they buy.

“It also seems to indicate that a person’s identity is based on what they buy which can easily lead to thinking that when others have what we want they are better than us.

“The driver of consumerism involves wanting what my neighbour has and that is wrong.

“During this time of the credit crisis, in the middle of a wealthy and successful society, we need to really think about how much we are relying on material things.

“We must remember there are millions of people around the world that still do not have enough to eat, who are chronically ill or who don’t have enough shelter.

“It is easy to take our security for granted but we must remember it is very important to think about how we relate to our society.

“Some churches are exploring this through the use of Fair Trade goods like tea and coffee.

“Churches are big consumers of tea and coffee and I’m sure this is a great way of making a huge difference.”