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Johnny's in the basement
Tryin' to find some medicine
I'm on the pavement
Worrying about the government
The man in the white coat
Says "Keep away", "Stay off"
But I ain't got a dry cough
And haven't had a pay-off
Look out kid
It's nothin' you did
God knows when
But if you go the shops again
You better stay down the empty aisles
Keep apart from your friend
A man in a black cloak, scythe and a hood on
Wants to take away your soul, you only got one
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John’s Notes: Parish Newsletter, March 2020
Roineabhal is a hill on Harris in the Western Isles of Scotland, its anorthosite granite similar in composition to rocks in the mountains of the Moon. When the people of Harris made their representations to a Public Enquiry on a proposed ‘superquarry’ on Roineabhal, they included a ‘Theological Testimony’ given by three spiritual ‘elders’.
Alastair McIntosh, a Quaker, testified that “God offers us not riches in the first instance, but simple livelihood of right relationship with ourselves, community and nature. And the courage to advocate justice to make this possible now and for our children's children's children.” Presbyterian Donald Macleod unfolded scripture’s teaching of “the intimate link between man and the soil. He is taken from the ground; his food is derived from it; he is commanded to till and to keep it; and he returns to it. … Rape of the environment is rape of the community itself.” Sulian Stone Eagle Herney, Warrior Chief of the Mi’Kmaq people of Nova Scotia - who he described as “caretakers of Mother Earth” - said that “reawakening the spiritual connection to Mother Earth and the Creator is the answer to save or to slow down the environmental destruction that is plaguing all of mankind.”
Scotland's longest public inquiry ended in 2000 with the Executive rejecting Lafarge Redland’s superquarry application, and the company subsequently withdrew its interest in Harris. McIntosh spent the following decade on the Lafarge Sustainability Stakeholder's Panel (unpaid), witnessing “how we can together leverage a better world.”
Following the bushfires this Australian summer, many now acknowledge we are at a significant moment in regards to the planet’s climate crisis. How do we respond - here in the Dales? Perhaps with with our own ‘Public Enquiry’, ie, a gathering of people from all walks of life for an open and honest discussion about our past, present and future relationship with the land, a bringing together of the best of our insights - with the intention to change. As a ‘theological testimony’, the Christian tradition right now invites us into Lent. Lent is a time for us to ‘transition’, a time for ‘giving-up’. That may mean acknowledging the damage we’ve done by treating the earth as a mere resource for our exploitation, and finding ways to reform those aspects of our inherited lifestyles proven to be so damaging to ‘right livelihood’ on our planet. If Lafarge can give up its pursuit of granite on Roineabhal then … how can we follow?
Image of Mt Roineabhal from St Clement's Church, Rodel. Photo: Alastair McIntosh. This and other details in this article are sourced from www.alastairmcintosh.com/general/quarry_briefing.htm.
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