Bishop Mary invites us all to stop and consider our beautiful planet this Creationtide. Listen to her interview or read the transcript below.
Bishop Mary
I think it's a really important time just to set aside to focus on creation. We lead such busy lives, you know, our ordinary lives, in our lives at church, that I don't know, I sometimes think we can rush past the creation in which we live. And this is an invitation really to stop and for me to look and to listen and to think about the beautiful planet which we're a key part of, but not the only part.
Presenter
Harvest festivals, we will have heard of them, Bishop Mary, you know, they're held. But it's not just about celebrating harvest, it's also giving that thanks for creation.
+Mary
It definitely is about giving thanks for creation and harvest festivals, particularly in more rural communities, is a really lovely, particular opportunity to do that. you know, I think this season of creation is not just about giving thanks, but also about us asking ourselves, what's our responsibility for the natural world?
As Christian people, as people of other faiths and no faiths, how are we charged to care for our planet in ways that will sustain it and give future generations a beautiful place to enjoy? So it's about Thanksgiving, but it's about asking ourselves some challenging questions, Mary, about how we care for creation.
Presenter
So let's delve a bit more about that because that's quite a big thing to think about. We're all going about our busy lives and we do want to give thanks. So if we think about the Christians and everyone's expected to do their bit. I mean, not just things like recycling, but how can us as individuals make that difference?
+Mary
Well, I recently read an absolutely wonderful book by a woman called Katherine Rundell. And the book is called The Golden Mole. And I just recommend it to everybody. It's wonderful. In the book, she tells stories, accounts of living creatures around the world. So baby swifts, and whales, and lemurs. And she tells stories, real stories that are absolutely enchanting. And she says in the beginning of her book, that her aim is to help people fall in love with the world again in order that we might care for it better.
And I think that's a really good place to start, you because sometimes we can beat ourselves up about the planet or we can think, it's just too big for us. But her starting point is a lovely one to say, let's just look at the world and see how amazing it is. And that might then give us the motivation to care for it better.
And you know, if people don't want to read the book, maybe they could do something really simple over this month of Creationtide and just go for what I'd call a slow walk in nature and just look and listen and see what you notice. And I think really falling in love with the world is a really nice starting place for our responsibility for it because we care for the people we love, don't we? And so why not make that a starting point for how we respond to the natural world?
Presenter
It's so interesting. And you know, having children has really helped me slow my pace down and spot those beautiful things, Mary, know, sort of spiders were being caught in the sunlight or, you know, if they're being a little bit heavy handed, because they've only got little hands with a ladybird just saying, you know, these are all God's creations and let's, you know, kind hands or whatever. It is about just sort of stopping to smell the roses, I suppose.
I guess the last question, Mary, you know, we can all do that, I suppose, in our daily lives. But if we do want to come together and join some church communities that maybe we haven't reached out to in a while, what's the sort of best way of joining back in?
+Mary
Well, do you know what? I think the best way of joining back in is just going along to your local church. You know, looking on the website, seeing what the time is and just going and seeing.
And particularly during this season of when we focus on creation, there are going to be some lovely services which really give a focus to the natural world. And if churches are interested in finding those resources, they're all on the Church of England website.
And I would just say that for the natural world and for our own lives as human beings, connection is the thing. Recognising our interconnectedness with one another and with the natural world. And the best way of doing that, you know, is just taking what sometimes feels like a brave step, going through the door and saying, how can I be involved?
Presenter
Thank you so much, the Bishop of Reading, the Right Reverend Mary Gregory. Thank you so much for your time this morning.
+Mary
You're so welcome. Thank you for having me.
A special service for the Season of Creation
You can join Bishop Mary and Bishop Fredrik, from the Diocese of Växjö, as together they host an online Creationtide service to mark this year's Season of Creation.
This will be a time of reflection, prayer and worship - everyone is welcome. It will be held in both languages, with translations, on 18 September at 6.30pm (UK), 7.30pm (Sweden).