URC Daily Devotion Friday, 12 September 2025
Notes from Small Islands 11: Renewables and Justice
Psalm 107: 1-3, 23-38
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures for ever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
those he redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south…
…Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the mighty waters;
they saw the deeds of the Lord,
his wondrous works in the deep.
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their calamity;
they reeled and staggered like drunkards,
and were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out from their distress;
he made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad because they had quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
He turns rivers into a desert,
springs of water into thirsty ground,
a fruitful land into a salty waste,
because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
He turns a desert into pools of water,
a parched land into springs of water.
And there he lets the hungry live,
and they establish a town to live in;
they sow fields, and plant vineyards,
and get a fruitful yield.
By his blessing they multiply greatly,
and he does not let their cattle decrease.
Reflection
Communities at the edge often see things more clearly. The Northern Isles have been at the forefront of technological change since the 1970s. The oil terminals at Sullom Voe, in Shetland, and Flotta, in Orkney, have contributed towards the UK’s energy and economic needs for 50 years. The work generated by the oil, and associated, industries, along with fees payable to the councils and community benefit funding has increased prosperity in these islands. Now, as oil gives way to wind and, in due course, to wave power, we find we are still, as the ancient poet said, “doing business in mighty waters.” New interconnectors will allow the electricity generated here to travel south and, in time, wean us off oil and gas.
Despite talk of a “just transition” away from an oil based economy there is a growing unease in the islands, Caithness and the Highlands, where new pylons will be built, about the benefit of having the landscape so dramatically changed. We want clean, green, power; we may not want huge pylons carrying it to our cities, towns, villages, and homes. The current pricing structure means, perversely, the highest daily standing charges are paid by those who live nearest to the wind turbines and pylons adding insult to injury.
The God who commanded the mighty winds and waves, is a God who desires justice. The God who hears the cries of those in fear at their wits’ end, is the One who wants all to flourish and have abundant life. The God who can bring ruin to a land populated by unjust inhabitants, is the One who gives us the wisdom to make electricity from wind and wave, and heat our homes from the air. The God who turns a desert into pools of water, parched land into springs of water, and leads the hungry into new towns is the One who cries for justice for both planet and people. Will we, like the communities on the edge, hear?
Prayer
God of tempest and storm,
we praise You for the technologies
that allow us to live well and not despoil Creation;
the wind charges our cars,
the air heats our homes,
and soon the waves will power our hospitals.
Guide our politicians as we turn away from fossil fuels,
that we may embrace a transition that is just,
and find ways to live without destroying Your world.
Amen.