‘I loved learning from Barbara Childs how to draw labyrinths. This morning I made this one from camellia flowers.’ Photo: Alice Curteis
‘I loved learning from Barbara Childs how to draw labyrinths. This morning I made this one from camellia flowers.’ Photo: Alice Curteis
Friendly labyrinths
Eye’s foray into labyrinths and their uses (31 March) inspired readers to share snaps of Friendly paths.
Alice Curteis, of St Andrews Meeting, said: ‘I loved learning from Barbara Childs how to draw labyrinths. This morning I made this one from camellia flowers’ (see above).
John Lawson, one of the wardens of Pickering Meeting, shared the labyrinth in the Meeting’s garden (see below). It has been cut yearly for the past five or six years, ‘cut in late May, early June and disappears in the early autumn’.
John told Eye: ‘A simple sign on the Pickering Meeting House gate invites passers by to walk awhile in the Meeting house garden. There between Whitsun and the end of August they will find a freshly cut labyrinth…
‘Many local people, as well as Quakers, circle dancers, toddlers and tourists heading between the town’s steam train and early medieval castle take up the invitation. It is valued as a place for reflection, contemplation and prayer… the labyrinth is walked to the accompaniment of bees, butterflies, swifts and bats.’
A delightful walk
A clever attender from Ealing
Delighted to walk on the ceiling
And he never felt guilt
At the fall of his kilt –
He’s a Scot and is used to revealing.
Alec Davison
An unusual missive
Eye was taken aback to find a letter of disconcerting provenance in the mailbag.
Rob Paton, of Milton Keynes Meeting, writes: ‘I thought you would be interested in the letter below, prepared for the Times. There is something not quite right about the letter (see below), something missing…’
Rob enlightens us: ‘The punch line? This was prepared by an AI chatbot in less than two minutes, prompted only by: “The Times”, “as a Quaker”, and “impact of Ukraine war on Climate”.
‘The letter’s earnest good intentions are smoothly expressed even if there is a certain… déjà vu about the points made and how they are phrased.
‘Depth and originality are not words that come to mind. In fact, it completely misses the effect of war-induced energy price rises in accelerating the switch to renewables.’
Dear Sir,
As a Quaker, I am deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the impact it is having on the environment. As we all know, war has a devastating impact on the natural world, and the Ukraine War is no exception.
The use of heavy machinery, the destruction of infrastructure, and the release of harmful pollutants all contribute to climate change and have a negative impact on the earth. In times of conflict, it is easy to lose sight of the long-term consequences of our actions, but we must remember that the earth is a gift that we have been entrusted with, and it is our responsibility to care for it.
As a Quaker, I believe in the inherent worth of every individual and the importance of peace. I urge all parties involved in the Ukraine War to work towards a resolution and to consider the impact their actions are having on the earth.
Let us remember that we are all part of the same global community and that our actions have an impact on the world around us. It is my hope that we can work towards a more peaceful and sustainable future for all.
Sincerely,
[Name]
Related comment - The military sector’s share of global greenhouse-gas emissions is estimated to be around 1-5% — comparable to emissions from the aviation and shipping industries. However, militaries have been left out of international agreements to declare emissions since the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, on the basis of preserving national security.
Source: Nottingham University also
:https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03444-7
By Tony Franklin on 12th May 2023 - 7:01
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