This is a quote from Steve Cluff, a local councillor in Burton Joyce, near Nottingham. In an interview, quoted on the BBC News website, he speaks out against the decision taken by Gedling Borough Council. That decision is to allow Severn Trent Water to build a wind turbine at Stoke Bardolph. You would have to admit that something that is over 350ft in height is a bit difficult to hide. Equally, something next to the River Trent in an area of lowland will be visible for some distance. Some might say, ‘a blot on the landscape’.
Opinion on wind turbines does seem divided. Using renewable energy
sources, such as wind power, is applauded by those who want us to reduce our
carbon emissions. Those who live in an area where there are wind turbines are
not quite as enthusiastic. Steve Cluff is right. You can’t really hide a 350ft mast.
Those of us old enough may remember a similar debate about mobile phone
masts. There were ingenious plans to build masts that looked like trees, or to
hide such masts in woods. A glance across the landscape in some areas would
prove that the idea didn’t really work.
The debate made me think about our lives before God. Some of us seem to
think that we can hide our failure in amongst the failure of others – like hiding
a radio mast in a wood. Our first line of defence when confronted with
something we’ve done wrong is, ‘well, what about everyone else?’ The naughty school
child is always quick to point to others and say, ‘what about them? Why are you
picking on me?’ This is the age-old problem. Are we prepared to admit before
God that we have failed – sinned? We have failed to reach God’s standards. We
have failed to keep God’s law. That failure brings guilt, as we stand before
God as condemned sinners. In reality, we can’t hide! We may try. We may invent
all sorts of excuses. The reality remains – guilty sinners deserving of God’s
judgement.
The good news of the gospel is that God has provided a way of escape.
God isn’t going to hide our sin. He has provided His Son to be our Saviour.
Through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on a Roman cross, God has provided a
way in which we can find cleansing and forgiveness. If we are prepared to place
faith in Christ, His death can be our death, He can become our substitute, bearing
our sin and guilt. Without Christ we will have to bear the punishment for our
own sin. In Christ, He has borne God’s punishment for us. To quote Steve Cluff,
‘you can’t hide’. What will do with your sin and guilt?
