This is our Home

Firstly, a big “Hello!” from all of the Waldocks, and a thank you to all of you who have been praying for us as we’ve been preparing to move to Farnborough. As I write this I am surrounded by a plethora of boxes, which have finally arrived to join us in our new home.

I don’t know what you’ve been up to this summer, but, with the exception of some sporting interludes (European Championships & Olympics, and soon to start The Paralympics) most of my summer has consisted of packing up boxes and then (at a slightly slower rate) unpacking those same boxes again.

In the time that we spent back in Brentwood preparing to move there was a lot of things to do on top of the packing up; clearing away bits that have been laying around the house, vacuuming and dusting more than we have previously. Fixing little bits that have been knocked and bumped, preparing it for someone else to live in and love our old house as much as we have.

And it’s reminded me of the fact that for Christians, earth is not our final home; Philippians 3v20 says “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” additionally Hebrews 13v14 also reads “For here [on earth] we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.”

Also, during the last month there has been a lot in the news about climate change and the climate emergency. Not only are there reports about world leaders meeting to discuss their role in preventing climate change, there have also been a number of natural disasters.

Extreme heat affecting North America, Australia and New Zealand, causing forest fires. There was torrential rain that caused flooding & land slides in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and other parts of Europe. Flooding in China that caused wide-spread damage including flooding their underground train network. There have been droughts in Southern Africa including Zimbabwe and Zambia. Whilst Central and Latin American countries had previously discussed which issue was more important to focus resources on: The Corona Virus Pandemic or The Climate Emergency.

So far Over 40 countries from across all of the continents have declared a partial or complete climate emergency, but that only accounts for about 20% of the world’s countries.

As Christians we do need to pray about the climate emergency, we need to pray for the people who are losing homes, businesses, livelihoods and lives because of it, we need to pray for breakthrough, we need to pray for the land itself. 2 Chronicles 7v14 – “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

But like this verse says prayer isn’t where we should stop. Prayer almost always has to be followed by an action. As we look at a world that is suffering, praying is one thing, it’s the best thing – don’t miss prayer off at any point. But where’s the action? What can you be doing as an individual, as a house hold, and what can we do as a church to help this situation we face?

And if you have a good idea, please share it, encourage one another to do what you can to lower our personal effect. Research how technology like solar power and energy-efficient lightbulbs and appliances can help. Go to the website www.writetothem.com type in your postcode and discover the contact details for councillors and local MPs and encourage the people in charge to take action too. Find out about what it means to Carbon Offset (you may want to visit; www.climatestewards.org/offset). You may be able to take your children and grand-children on bike rides or walks through the countryside and to play in parks, instead of driving to an activity.

Because even if this isn’t our permanent home, even if this isn’t where we belong, even if we are waiting to move to a bigger, better, smarter home to live with our Father. Shouldn’t we look after this one for the next people to enjoy? I think that is what the creator would want us to do.