The Revival Meeting

By Elizabeth Brooke-Carr in Articles

A delightful reflection on the use -- and mis-use of water!

Water is one of the world's most precious resources, and the pure, clean, variety is fast becoming a scarce commodity. Finding ways to develop sustainable water systems and management strategies has become an urgent focus for all those who value life and the environment that supports it.

At a recent meeting to consider sustainability issues, I was asked to focus on my personal relationship with Water. At once my mind floated away. All manner of delightful water images rippled before my eyes: paddling, picnicking, swimming, boating...until I heard the challenge: 'How are you conserving this valuable resource?' Although I was part of a larger group it was clear that the 'you' addressed was not the great, corporate, collective, world-at-large, people-in-general 'you'. It was the specific 'you'; the still, small, voice; the singular, personal, individual 'you'; the tiny, insignificant, drop-in-the-ocean 'you.'

Each person, thus defined, was issued with pen and paper and asked to identify his or her own water sins - to name them individually - as if to clarify and affirm the wickedness of their wasteful ways. Then, with guilt firmly established, the sinner was led purposefully towards redemption. In the spaces provided on the sheets each water-violator was invited to write down what he or she could do about this shameful state of affairs. While the all-knowing eyes of a Sustainability Crusader watched over the lowered heads, the guilty persons struggled to express what actions they would take to purge their saturated souls. Until at last they came to the place (on the back page) where they should sign the pledge. And receive absolution. The process would have warmed the cockles of Billy Graham's heart.

As it turns out I didn't sign the pledge. Like my gentle, good, Catholic friend of long ago who wouldn't take communion because she hadn't been to confession, I too, was frozen graceless with fear by the steady drip, drip, drip of my accumulated water sins.

God knows we need Crusaders. I commend the ardour and commitment of the people from the Sustainability Trust who led that meeting. I admire their enthusiastic efforts to change the indulgent habits of previous generations - many of whom have taken the presence of clean water in their lives as a given. I support the Trust's Sustainability aims.

But I find myself struggling with methodological issues - the way we do what we do to achieve goals of behavioural change. For example, does current TV advertising of horrific road crashes reach the target audience? Does it actually reduce the road toll? Do we need to bring low captive audiences in order to raise high our standards - of driving, or water use? Do old revival meeting tactics really work in the long term? Perhaps the connections between fear and positive, permanent, behaviour changes are at best tenuous. Abraham Maslow once said that the fear of knowing is very deeply a fear of doing. Perhaps, then, we should raise our consciousness and gain wisdom in other, less fear-evoking ways.

Therefore, in lieu of my unsigned pledge, and taking a cue from Roald Dahl who claimed that 'A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men (sic),' I offer this exhortation in praise of Sustainability.

Psalm 2008
A psalm of Elizabeth, (with apologies to David)
after thinking too much about the wilderness of water sustainability.

1. Sustainability is my goal; with it I shall not want.
2. It maketh me to sit up and take notice; to take briefer showers and change leaking tap washers; it helpeth me to make wise submissions to Water allocation plans.
3. It kick starteth my soul and leadeth me in the paths of righteousness - to take bold action for Water's sake - never more shall I leaveth the tap running while I brusheth my teeth.
4. Yea, though I dwell in darkness (to save electricity) and I walk through the shadow of cow sheds in the green pastures of the Waitaki Valley, I will fear no ill for Sustainability is with me, its self-composting toilets and recycled grey waste comfort me still.
5. Sustainability furnisheth clean Water tables; it raiseth up my angst in the presence of Water-pollution foes; my head with fresh rain Water it dost anoint and my storage tanks almost runneth over.
6. Surely the goodness of Sustainability goals and the mercy of conservation nozzles shall see that clean, pure Water flows through all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the presence of Sustainability forever.
Elizabeth Brooke-Carr