Last night we watched ‘The Great British Sewing Bee’. Judges Esme and Patrick looked on critically, as the contestants created underwear from second hand T-shirts and made upcycled garments from fabrics that were to be thrown out. Finally, made-to-measure outfits with an environmental message were designed and created…
We saw panic and mistakes, the bizarre and unwearable… alongside huge vision, creativity, and skill. The show’s theme was ‘reduce, re-use, recycle’…
I’m reading ‘The Heart’s Invisible Furies’. Cyril Avery, the son of a sixteen-year-old Irish catholic girl is adopted by a well-to-do but eccentric couple. Throughout his childhood Cyril’s best friend is Julian. As young men they fall out and lose touch…
Years later Cyril, is volunteering – helping, comforting, reassuring, patients with AIDS in a New York hospital. He discovers that Julian is a patient and close to death – past the point of reduce, re-use, recycle.
This morning I’ve been reading Isaiah 58… that could be titled ‘Reduce, re-cycle, reuse’…
Religion: ‘Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife…’ The people’s religion needed to change. Isaiah describes true fasting…
Responsibility: ‘…to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free…’ Selfish religion should be replaced by social responsibility. justice and mercy…
Relationship: ‘… Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe them…’ Not just religious or political principles – Cyril’s care for real people.
Renewal: ‘Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: here am I.’ It’s about a renewed relationship with God.
Rebuilding, repairing, restoring: ‘Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.’ This would be true literally… also true metaphorically and spiritually as God’s people reduce, recycle, reuse…
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