The wise man built his house upon the rock
The wise man built his house upon the rockThe wise man built his house upon the rockAnd the rains came tumbling down
The rains came down and the floods came upThe rains came down and the floods came upThe rains came down and the floods came upAnd the house on the rock stood firm
The foolish man built his house upon the sandThe foolish man built his house upon the sandThe foolish man built his house upon the sandAnd the rains came tumbling down
“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.
“But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.”
Matthew 7:24-27 The Message
Do you any of you remember this chorus from the days before the flood? Rather appropriate turn of phrase, don't you think? This was a vacation bible school song from the sixties, complete with actions.
I'm not sure what foolishness kids were going to get up to, other than rambunctiousness. Jesus did invite us to be prudent and forward-looking in the way we live and consider the future.
On Monday the Conservative government in Ontario passed Bill 23 which included a lot of foolish things, including limiting the role of Conservation Authorities to assess where homes should and shouldn't be built when the rains come down and the floods go up. In addition, our premier broke a promise he made publicly on several occasions not to tamper with the Greenbelt, a protected area which includes vital agricultural land and watersheds.
Brad McNevin, CAO of Quinte Conservation, issued a statement condemning this bill which includes this "read it and weep" assessment:
The Quinte Watershed contains many wetlands, of which one hundred are Provincially Significant, and they all play a vital role in storing atmospheric carbon and support groundwater recharge which helps to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Bill 23 has reduced that Provincially Significant Wetland number to one. That means wetlands, which also contribute to offsetting water and reducing flooding, improving overall ground and surface water quality, and providing a home to Ontario’s important species (many of which are at risk) could now be targeted for development.
From 100 significant wetlands to one!
In recent days several media reports including a joint investigation by The Narwhal magazine and the Globe and Mail newspaper have revealed that developers have been purchasing land in the Greenbelt right up until September of this year, even though it supposedly couldn't be exploited for housing construction. Bill 23 changes all this and will make these contributors to the Conservative Party even wealthier.
The same can be said about the development of multi-laned Highway 413 through agricultural and environmentally sensitve areas. And on Wednesday Bonnie Lysyk, the Auditor General for Ontario, issued a report which says that this government ignored its own experts when it decided to prioritize building eight highways, including Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass. The report also contends that as the government reduces environmental protections even more it isalready mismanaging them, from flood risks to protected land and invasive species. Ironically, Ford responded that Lysyk "stay in her lane" in her work.
We have a lot of foolish and sneaky people -- it's mostly "old boys" -- who are supposedly running the crew in this province, and frankly it scares the hell out of me. Should some of these guys be sent back to Sunday School, or perhaps the confessional? For the love of Creation and Creator, who is looking out for the generations to come?
So, what do ravens, crows and John the Baptist have in common? A dubious Advent connection, you say? Check out my Groundling blog today
groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.com/2022/12/ravens
2 comments:
I am sharing this one, David - it makes me furious to think that politicians can get away with this nonsense ! (And I, too, remember the song - and the actions - of that Sunday School song!
I guess I am officially OLD!
It's surprising what hangs around in the junk drawer of our minds through the decades,Judy, and music is often what keeps it alive.
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