Prayer: re Fracking – Fris & Sats
Tanya from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland writes the following. She is a member of CEL prayer community
“I’ve been involved recently in raising awareness of the licence granted for shale gas extraction, using fracking, where I live in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.
There are many aspects of fracking that I think Christians should be concerned about (see my blog post) not least its effect on the earth’s climate.
As a fossil fuel, and methane is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide , shale gas would significantly contribute to our carbon emissions and thus our responsibility for worsening climate change. I recently attended a lecture by Professor Kevin Anderson of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Research in which he stated quite categorically that shale gas could be no part of a green energy solution to what is now set to be a catastrophic global temperature rise.
In view of these concerns, and the danger that issues like this can be used to polarise communities, especially in areas such as Northern Ireland with a history of conflict, I recently sent the following invitation to a network of friends and contacts.
It’s become increasingly clear to me lately that, whatever our individual views on the shale gas issue, it is likely, at the least, to bring great changes and disruption and, potentially, considerable loss, suffering and conflict for the people, landscape and wildlife of Fermanagh.
Those of us who are Christians or members of other faiths believe that God cares tenderly and passionately for his* creation and children, and that he wishes us to bring situations like this into the light of his presence.
I am sure that we are all already praying for wisdom, justice and compassion in the difficulties that we face now, and those that will be faced by those who come after us.
I’d like to suggest that we join together, not in asking that God will do or not do any particular action, but simply in holding our county, our land and our earth in prayer before him.
So we’re inviting you, wherever you are, to take fifteen minutes (more if you can, less if that’s impossible) at 1pm each Friday or Saturday, whichever suits you (or, of course, both) to pray about this, knowing that others are doing the same.
If neither of these times are convenient for you, please consider setting aside another weekly time to join us. Please pass this on to anyone else who you think might wish to take part, either within Fermanagh or anywhere in the world. If you’d like to be part of an email group, sharing occasional thoughts about this, please let me know and I’ll get that set up.
(*and, just as much, of course, her)
I’d like to invite members of the CEL prayer network to join with us in this prayer, and would be very grateful if you could do so, and pass this on to others who might also be interested. If you’d like to know more about the situation in Fermanagh, please visit our website at www.frackaware.com “
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Comments on "Prayer: re Fracking – Fris & Sats"
Rosalind Merrick:
Good plan. You are absolutely right about the environment and the community. I will join you here in Balcombe, West Sussex in prayer for County Fermanagh.
Christopher Warwick:
I will join you on Saturdays. Thanks. Chris
Gwen Prince:
thank you for the initiative . I will join you 1pm Fridays Gwen
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