Tales from the canal bank

June 2009

I have the great good fortune to spend a considerable amount of time on my narrow boat on the Shropshire Union Canal. One of my joys is to be able to closely observe the changing seasons and their effect on the plant, animal and bird life which surrounds us. Spring and Easter are synonymous with the bursting forth of new life and I was looking forward to observing all the spring rituals once again.

Then disaster struck, the canal was literally covered in dead fish and it was apparent that a major pollution incident had taken place and was killing everything in the canal. Imagine our dismay as looking down into the water we saw the large fish slowly succumbing to the poison in the water. A friend watched a pike, a metre long, slowly being asphyxiated beneath his boat. The large fish died and sank to the bottom but the smaller fish died and remained on the surface. For days it was like a procession of whitebait being washed down the canal and then the large fish started coming to the surface and pike after pike floated past. The pond weed also succumbed and after a few days the whole canal was dead.

The awful reality of the situation was brought home to us when we realised that the canal is an essential provider for many creatures and it was the birds turn to suffer. The herons were mystified as to where all the fish had gone. The mallards were preparing to bring up their young on a canal which was no longer able to support them. So the birds disappeared off to find new food sources.

Our celebration of the Easter season reached its finale on 31^st May with Pentecost when the risen Lord sent the Holy Spirit to support and assist the disciples in the task of founding a new Church and heralding the advent of the Kingdom of God. All was new or renewed, the risen Christ in his resurrected life and the disciples filled with the Holy Spirit and guess what……………… the fish are back in the canal, our local mallard has somehow managed to raise eleven chicks and the canal is slowly being renewed. God’s natural world is renewing itself.

I pray that you too may all know the joy of renewed life in Christ as the Holy Spirit moves amongst us.

Robert Lintern In training to be Ordained Local Minister