Lots to choose from in the current Church Times, but imagine walking from Boston to Chicago–a bit farther than that, actually–to make a point about carbon footprints. Eighteen people walked 1,000 miles, through Northern Ireland and around Britain, in the Cut the Carbon walk, sponsored by Christian Aid, that ended on Tuesday in London. The original marchers walked the final mile accompanied by an estimated 2,000 people and ended their journey at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
They had started their journey on July 14 in Belfast, coming from countries all around the world–England, Ireland, Kenya, El Salvador, Brazil, India, Tajikistan, Congo, the Phillippines and more. They blogged the walk here, and 1,375 people also followed along on Facebook.
The Church Times reports:
They were greeted by the Archbishop of York, Dr Sentamu. As a walker himself, he told them not to worry about their blisters, because what mattered was that they had participated.
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The oldest of the marchers to complete the walk was Merryn Hellier, a Methodist, who is 68. She said that Jesus had been on the march with them, “because so many people had their minds opened to realise the full misery of the problems that people overseas are suffering already”.
The former Bishop of Umzimvubu, Eastern Cape, South Africa, the Rt Revd Geoff Davies, who is 66 and runs the interfaith South African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute, and his wife Kate, 56, joined the march at Burton-on-Trent to walk the last 500 miles.
Care for the integrity of creation and sustaining and renewing life on earth was the fifth mark of mission and “core Gospel business”, he said. Climate change was an issue of justice because it hit the poor hardest. “We are seeking justice so we can have peace,” he said. “We are looking to Britain to set a lead.” The Church, as well as environmentalists, should call for “a green sabbath to cut carbon use”.
Tim Jones, 26, from London, had taken three months’ unpaid leave from the World Development Movement charity to join the march. “We hoped to inspire people to campaign,” he said.
The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Revd John Gladwin, told the marchers that they had “ blessed our country and islands with your feet and given us hope for the future”.
The story includes a wonderful picture of several bishops standing with the walkers outside the cathedral. It’s here, and you can learn lots more about the walk and the campaign here.