mysterious

This week we went up to Lancashire to visit our older daughter and her wife and I was confused to find pools of water on the pavement. What were these strange phenomena? What could be causing them?

While we were at the railway station waiting for our train to begin our return journey water started falling from the sky in massive quantities. There was so much cascading down the roof of the station that the gutters couldn’t cope and in places it looked like a mini Niagara Falls! It was so mysterious.

There has been almost no rain for several months in Plymouth, where we live. Devon, along with quite a few other areas in UK have hosepipe bans imposed because of the persistent extremely hot weather we’ve been experiencing this summer. It felt strange witnessing the torrential rain (for that is what it was, dear bloggist) when we’d only seen the blazing sun for the past couple of months. I referred to this recently when we had a small amount of rain which seemed to evaporate as it hit the ground… raining – nukelearfishing

The following rules about the hosepipe ban come from the South West Water website:

Customers must not use hosepipes for non-essential purposes while the ban is in place. This includes using a hosepipe to:

• Water your garden
• Wash your car
• Fill a paddling pool, swimming pool or hot tub
• Clean your patio or driveway
• Clean walls and windows

Water can still be used as normal for drinking, washing and cooking.

You can still carry out many of your usual activities without a hosepipe, for example by using a watering can to water plants or using a bucket and sponge to wash your car.

(I have illuminated a sentence in blue above as it seems to be an example of stating the obvious for the benefit of a few people who lack common sense).

What interests me are the exceptions. Again, from the SWW website:

You can water:

• Trees, hedges and saplings planted within the last planting season, where watering with a watering can is not feasible
• Turf that has been laid within the last 28 days
• Newly-bought plants for the first 14 days after purchase
• Food crops grown at home or at a private allotment, where using a watering can is not feasible
• Sports pitches and surfaces where watering is necessary, so long as watering takes place outside of the peak hours of 8-10am and 5-9pm
• Using an irrigation system that drips or trickles, with a time and pressure-reducing valve and that deliver water directly to soil

You can use a hosepipe if:

• You need to fill a pond to keep fish or other aquatic animals healthy
• Where a pond or pool is used as part of a recognised religious practice
• You need to fill an ornamental fountain if it is needed to supply oxygen to fish  

You can use a hosepipe if you are:

• Cleaning a vehicle as part of a private business, for example a car wash
• The vehicle is used for public services, business purposes or transporting goods
• The vehicle is a taxi, commercial vehicle or goods vehicle.

and so on.

Businesses, it seems, are more important than the general public. New plants, it seems, are more important than existing ones. Sports pitches, it seems, are more important than private gardens.

How do they decide these exceptions? What is ‘essential’ and ‘non-essential’? What criteria did they use to prioritise some things, some people, some businesses, over others?

We all do this, of course. We all consider some things, people, activities to be more important than others. What criteria do we use?

Do we decide on the basis of self-interest (what will benefit me the most)? Do we have a utilitarian approach (greatest good for the greatest number)? Perhaps it’s based on power (they’re bigger, richer, stronger, have more influence, etc…)? What about less quantifiable factors such as personal preference, bias, friendship, etc?

Do Jesus’ words make a difference ?

Matthew 20:20-28:

²⁰ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favour of him.

²¹ ‘What is it you want?’ he asked.

She said, ‘Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.’

²² ‘You don’t know what you are asking,’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?’

‘We can,’ they answered.

²³ Jesus said to them, ‘You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.’

²⁴ When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. ²⁵ Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

Be blessed, be a blessing