The conversation Gaia starts

The presence of the Gaia Earth artwork in Swansea this month is a really positive opportunity to kick-start conversations and behaviour change in our families, communities and churches in relation to how we care for the planet - for God’s creation. Why? There has been no shortage of climate-related headlines so far in 2026, from flooding to hurricanes and, of course, a national drought here in Wales, repeated heatwaves, and a series of disastrous wildfires. They all show, more clearly than ever, how fragile our ecosystems are and that climate change is no longer a future or distant threat, but is here! Science points to these extreme weather events not being isolated, but rather, they are signals of a shifting climate which demands new ways of thinking, adapting and behaving! We need to make the connections, or ‘join the dots’ if you like, between our daily behaviours and actions (e.g. the food we eat, the way we travel, the purchases we make and where our money is saved and invested) and what impact these have. Indeed, we need to realise what impact millions of other people making similar decisions have, but more importantly, what impact they COULD have, if they are positive ones.

You may have heard about the National Emergency Briefing, which is a series of hard-hitting talks about the current condition of our planet. Last November, ten of the UK’s leading experts briefed an invited audience of over 1,200 politicians and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media. The briefing set out the implications of climate and nature breakdown for health, food systems, national security and the economy. Since then, a ‘People’s Emergency Briefing’ film has emerged, aimed at informing the general population about the situation and arming them with confidence and hope to respond. The desire is that it creates ‘...the conditions in which citizens, communities and decision-makers can engage honestly and constructively with the realities we face.’

I urge you to attend a local screening of the film or organise one for your church and community. It is not easy viewing or listening, but there is undoubtedly hope too and we all must understand the true situation that we find ourselves in so that we can arm ourselves with the correct information to act.

Visiting Swansea Minster and sitting quietly to reflect on ‘the earth above your head’ is a great place to start that journey, so why not make some time over the coming weeks, to do just that?

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.

(Psalm 24:1–2)

This feature is part of our coverage of Gaia at Swansea Minster. Read more about the installation.