Ocean Sunday 2013

Reflection

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"Increasingly after my speaking events, I catch myself unexpectedly weeping in my hotel room or on flights home. Every now and then, the reality of what the science is saying manages to thaw the emotionally frozen part of myself I need to maintain to do my job. In those moments, what surfaces is pure grief. It’s the only feeling that comes close to the pain I felt processing the severity of my dad’s brain injury. Being willing to acknowledge the arrival of the point of no return is an act of bravery."

Joëlle Gergis, a lead author on the next IPCC report

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This quote reminded me of a visit to the Marine Science Centre in Coffs Harbour back in 2013.

 

This is what the first marine scientist said in his public address, "We're a bit concerned about rising ocean acidity and temperature." He went on to be a bit concerned about several other issues.

 

When I questioned him later, he admitted,

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"I'm extraordinarily concerned... but there's no use being negative... If I was going to give you my true impression of what's going to happen we actually are in dire straits…" 

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He then followed with five extra reasons why he was extraordinarily, not “a bit” concerned.

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I asked another Marine Scientist about the NSW State Government’s decision to allow fishing in sanctuary reserves (the 6% of the oceans free of fishing). 

 

He replied,

"When you work for government, your official opinion has to be the government's opinion, but now I'm free to speak as a biologist... I'm strongly not supportive of the government's decision [he explained that the decision was based on no science at all] to allow fishing in sanctuary zones, but I'm not sure that there is much we can do about it."

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How can we hope for a good outcome in our efforts to serve and protect God’s garden (to echo the Genesis 2 story), if we have a government which tells its scientists what to say, rather than basing its decisions on what the scientists say?
 
We should be demanding that our scientists tell us how bad things really are, rather than patronizing us. 

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A doctor who tells us that she is a bit worried about our health, when she actually knows our life is threatened if we don't make some drastic changes in our lifestyle would be no use to any of us.  If my doctor is extraordinarily concerned, I want them to say that, not decide that there’s no point being negative.  Scientists are the best doctors of the oceans we have.  We should be listening to them. 

 

And yes, they include data from commercial and recreational fishing, so that means we are listening to the fishers too, or at least what their actual data is generating.

 

Jesus said it's truth that sets us free, but he didn't promise that we'd like what we hear. 
 

Please, churches, push our governments to free up scientists in all fields to tell us those hard truths, and then to try to do something about it.

The Uniting Church formally committed in its Basis of Union to listen to the truths being discerned in contemporary society, and to use these new insights to help us discern our own nature and mission.  I’d hope that is something all churches would want to call our governments and citizens to emulate.
 
Rev Dr Jason John 
Uniting Earth Ministry
29 August 2013

 

You can read about fishing in sanctuary zones here (not by the same marine scientist)

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For humans serving and protecting God's Garden (the root translation of "till and keep" see for example the top video from SoC 2012

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For Jesus and Truth see John 8, following the principle more than the proof-text, though it also depends on whether you go with NIV (follow my teaching) or NRSV (continue in my Word).

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Basis of Union paragraph 11

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