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A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Rev'd Dr Stephen Wigley, Chair of the Wales Synod of the Methodist Church.

Good morning. In recent months there have been growing concerns about the rise in gas prices, the threat of fuel poverty and the possibility of a more widespread energy crisis. Of course this is not the first time we’ve been in this position. Some 50 years ago, the country was in the middle of a national miners’ strike, and on 9th February the Heath government took the decision to declare a state of emergency, which was followed a few days later by the introduction of power cuts on a rolling basis. At the time I was a young boy away at boarding school, and the prospect of having to live and work by candlelight seemed quite exciting; but from most people’s perspective the whole situation was much more serious and so it’s not surprising that an agreement with the miners was reached relatively soon afterwards.

Now we trust that nothing like that happens again this winter, but in the understandable rush to ensure adequate supplies of natural gas for households and businesses, it’s important that we don’t lose sight of that wider energy crisis; the urgent need to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels so as to restrict carbon emissions and the rise in the global temperature. It’s good that we’re no longer relying on coal in the way we once were, but natural gas can only be a transitional fuel if we want to preserve our planet for future generations. After all, there’s little long-term future in keeping us and our homes warm in the winter, if by doing that we’re contributing to the overheating of the planet in the years to come.

Generous God,
You have provided all the good things which we need for our life and prosperity; help us not to focus so much on our comfort and material well-being that we deny future generations an environment in which they and all your creation can flourish,
For your kingdom’s sake, Amen.