Government at last Word on the Week 27th June 2020.
Sometimes democratic elections can produce unwelcome results! In the case of Ireland, the three main parties came close to tying for the most votes. The people had spoken but their vote required 140 days and hundreds of thousands of words of political negotiating until a triparty government was agreed this week.
The outcome is something of a miracle as the chief contending parties were on opposing sides in the civil war (1922 -1923) – and in Ireland we have long memories! In order to obtain a majority in the Dáil the relatively new Green Party had to be wooed and won. Global warming creating the current climate change had to be given a higher profile in the programme for government and the Green Party reckon we humans can do something about it.
Written in to the programme is the requirement to reduce carbon emissions by 7% annually during the lifetime of this government. Our previous efforts to reduce these emissions have been counterproductive. The level of emissions has risen slightly! It will require many more to emulate Eamon Ryan, the cycling Green Party leader, to get on their bike to improve our carbon footprint.
One good thing that has come out of the coronavirus pandemic has been the lowering of vehicle emissions. Road traffic has been greatly reduced and now with the gradual lifting of the restrictions it may not return to its former manic levels. This can be achieved by people continuing to work, at least part of the week, from home. All this has given us a boost towards the 7% emission reduction.
Another advantage has been the use of the ‘Zoom’ program on computers. This along with improved website designs has removed distance from being a negative factor between people and made technology a positive experience. Instead of meeting physically in conference the ‘webinar’ has become popular. It enabled me to attend part of a conference in London this week along with approx. 600 others!
But it is the words that are said which is the important thing. The medium through which they are delivered is relatively unimportant (Numbers Chapter 22 verses 28 to 38). Jesus said it is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life (St John Chapter 6 verse 63).
Through the Prophet Isaiah the Lord said “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Chapter 55 verse 11).
The word of God, believed, always achieves its purposes. Unbelief is the product of hard hearts; “But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (St John Chapter 5 verse 40). May God soften our hearts to trust him.