Did you know that Greenland was in fact named by the Norwegian-born Icelandic Viking Erik the Red who was exiled there for manslaughter? He named it Greenland in an effort to entice travellers to settle there. Far from being green, over 80% of Greenland is covered by a pure white ice sheet, and is the world’s largest non-continental island.
However, there are signs that this may all change. On 14th August scientists saw rain falling on the summit of Greenland’s ice cap, for the first time since records began. Temperatures are normally well below freezing and rainfall is a stark illustration of what is happening to the world’s climate. Such was the shock to the scientists that they were unable to measure the rainfall because they had no rain gauges to catch the water. However, it is estimated around 7 billion tonnes of water were released by the rain clouds. We may grumble about rain in August and cold weather, but in Greenland the temperatures were 18C higher than average in places. As a result of this melting was seen in most of Greenland across an area four times the size of the UK.
There is a worship song by Martin Layzell entitled “I stand in awe”, and refers to the first 7 verses of Job:38.
Who can know the mind of our Creator,
who can speak of wonders yet unseen,
who can reach the height of understanding,
to play the notes of wisdom’s melody?
Who has weighed the dust of every mountain,
who has walked the mysteries of the deep,
who has laid the earth on its foundation,
who conducts the waves upon the sea?”
The answer is God the Creator. We are not responsible for the beauty and majesty of the glaciers, but we are responsible for their demise, and for the effect of the ecosystems both close to and further afield.
If rain continues to fall instead of snow, and ice melts instead of freezing then Greenland may not be such an unusual name for this large island.
Prayer: Sovereign Lord, you are the majesty and enormity of this fragile world. Help us to be more aware of the rippling effects of changes that happen far away from our comfortable lives. Show us how to get the balance back so that ecosystems can survive into the future. AMEN