What do two celebrity cooks, an archbishop and the Diocese of Bradford have in common? They are all making pleas for us to slow down.
From different perspectives they all agree that our fast and frenetic lifestyles not only add to environmental degradation, but also mean that we miss out on resting, spending time with family and friends or cooking and sharing a good meal.
The renowned cooks Gordon Ramsey and Tom Aikens have called for the re-establishment of the Sunday lunch as a way of bringing families closer together. In what may will see as a bit of wishful thinking, The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, recently sent two books to every MP (‘The 100 – Minute Bible’ by Revd Michael Hinton and ‘Do Nothing to Change Your Life…’ by Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell), to encourage MPs to slow down and ‘enter into the presence of God…’.
And Satish Kumar, editor of ‘Resurgence’, wants to declare Sunday a fossil-fuel free day – which would slow us down and have the added advantage, he suggests, of reducing our carbon emissions by one seventh.
The Bradford Diocesan Earth Care Team are promoting a Slow Sunday in the Bradford Diocese – a carefree, car-free Sunday on 23 September, when they hope that people will slow down, consume less and take time to appreciate the environment and people close to them.
Clare Hyde, Diocesan Environmental Officer, says “We want to give ourselves – and the earth – a rest. If we all make a commitment to slow down on the one Sunday – not use the car perhaps go for a walk, call in on a friend or cook lunch with the family, just maybe well enjoy it enough to want to make it a habit!”