What does it mean to try and change our whole lives for the climate? And why is it important that we do? As a family, or with the people in your house, take some time to explore why being a Christian means that we should be committed to helping to change the climate for the better. He told them yet another parable: The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Thought it is the smallest of your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches. A mustard seed is only 1 2 millimetres in diameter, but a mustard tree can grow to 2.7 metres tall! That is around 2,700 times the size of the seed. Can you think of anything as small as a mustard seed? In the parable, Jesus talks about the man who took his mustard seed and planted it in his field. Do you think that the man expected the tree to grow so big? A mustard plant produces a lot of seeds, and spreads them everywhere on the wind in order for them to grow. They just get everywhere! Can you imagine a field covered in little mustard seeds? 3 millimetres
Did you bubbles get everywhere? Did your hands get sticky, and the ground get covered in bubbles? How might this look a little bit like the mustard seeds, getting everywhere?
Think about the big tree that you ve just seen and touched. Think about the ground around the tree. What does this ground need to be like for the tree to grow? Think about what you saw when you looked up. In the bible story, Jesus talks about all of the birds of the air coming and perching in the big tree s branches. Did you see any birds? Why might it be important for the birds that somebody planted the tree all those years ago? Lots and lots of people will have lived near this tree, or seen it as they have passed by. And, lots and lots of people will see this tree in the future too. How do you think the long life of a tree affects lots of people? is the process of our planet changing. All around the planet, different animals, plants and people live in places that are suited to them. However, the ways we travel, what we eat and the things we use all affect these places. They the air around the world, so that gradually it is getting warmer and warmer, like a big warm blanket being wrapped around the earth. Unfortunately, this doesn t mean sunnier days. This means that our weather will get more unpredictable and extreme. Plants, animals and even people might not be able to cope with our planet changing, meaning that the planet will be harder to live on. In order to make this better, we need to try and change our lifestyles so that we don t the earth so much. We can make lots of changes to do this, and to help keep our planet the way it should be.
Sometimes, it can feel like a really big deal to try and do something about climate change. It can feel like the small actions that we take won t make any difference to a world that is so big, and in so much trouble. However, Jesus shows us that even something as small as a mustard seed can have a big difference. It can double, triple, quadruple and even grow to something 2,700 times its original size! When we choose to make changes to reduce our impact on the climate, we believe that they can grow to make an impact that can grow to be much bigger. This is because of the effect that they have on the environment around them. Just like the tree in the parable, they affect the field they are in, the ground around them and the birds of the air who can make their homes in the tree. They have a long lasting effect, on the world that is to come in years ahead. By telling the parable, Jesus is trying to explain what the kingdom of heaven looks like. This is made up of all of the good things God does in the world, and all of the ways God promises to restore the world so it will become just as God planned. Looking after the planet is part of this. God designed the world to be perfect, living and flourishing, just like a well looked after tree. We can be part of making this happen with God, just like the man planting the seed in the parable. God invites us to take part in restoring creation, so that it is just as God wished it to be. This will all play a part in revealing God s character, and how much God loves the world. We can be full of hope that God wants to show how much God loves us, and creation, by working with us to restore it to the way it in meant to be. Changing your lifestyle for the climate is really important, and there are lots of things you can do to start off. You could start off by thinking How does my life affect the? What do I do every day that might the world around me? What is my favourite part of the planet? What could I do to keep it safe?
As a family, could you take on one of the six Living Lent challenges? Could you: Give up meat, and go vegetarian or vegan? Commit to using alternative forms of transport? Give up single use plastics? Commit to an electricity free hour every day? Commit to living locally? Commit to buying nothing new? Can you make the Living Lent tree grow, as you complete the 40 challenges across Lent? Find the game on the Living Lent website. Just like the parable of the mustard seed, the small actions that you take today could make a big difference to looking after our planet. You can play a part in helping God s planet to keep on growing, showing God s love for the world by caring for creation.