Cameron Conant is an Operation Noah trustee and works on a consultancy basis as Operation Noah’s Communications Officer. Pictured in the photo above are Operation Noah’s Bright Now Campaign Officer Bokani Tshidzu (far left), Operation Noah trustee Mick Oliver and Operation Noah administrator Ruth Jarman (far right). 

By Cameron Conant

Last week, I prayed in front of Parliament as part of the 10-day ‘No Faith in Fossil Fuels’ vigil for climate justice – first, with members of my church after a Sunday service, and a few days later with Operation Noah colleagues. 

We were praying for the UK Government to ban all new UK-based fossil fuel projects, to deliver and build on the UK’s international climate finance pledges and to make the UK’s biggest polluters pay for climate action. 

Both of my prayer slots were in the afternoon, but other Christians held our stretch of Westminster pavement late into the night and through the small hours of the morning. 

Having people there 24/7 was crucial to keeping our strategic position throughout the ten days, as any gap could have led to another group taking our place near the guarded gates that led to the grounds of Parliament. 

The vigil was quiet and restrained; on both of my visits, about a dozen people gathered in a semi-circle at various points to read a prayer, sing a hymn or listen to someone read scripture. However, we often just stood silently, holding signs that read, ‘No Faith in Fossil Fuels’ – sometimes doing so as senior members of the government walked past us through security. 

Occasionally, people would walk by the vigil and give us a thumbs up, offer a bit of impromptu applause or engage us in conversation about the climate crisis; others would slow down in order to get a closer at our sign, which explained the vigil, and then walk on. 

In the three hours I spent there, I was reminded that campaigning, like prayer, is simultaneously unremarkable and powerful. The simple act of being present, of believing that change is possible – and of being willing to be part of that change – can transform a dull February day when our political system seems irredeemably broken into a defiant act of faith and hope. 

Praying in front of Parliament also brought to mind a sense I’ve had for some time that all politics is crowdsourcing, by which I mean that when governments do the right thing, they tend to do so because a critical mass of grassroots support exists for doing the right thing. 

When we pray, campaign and continue to proclaim ‘No Faith in Fossil Fuels’, we create the conditions for political change. And while special interests like the fossil fuel lobby continue to tilt the tables in favour of injustice, shifts in public opinion can overturn tables, as we’ve recently seen with the Post Office scandal. 

The status quo is a powerful force – but prayer, backed by action, is more powerful still. 

Whether you participated in this recent prayer vigil or not, I hope you will join us in calling for a fair and fast transition away from the destructive fossil fuel era and towards a greener future.

To that end, how about emailing your MP, joining a local climate action group, supporting the work of Operation Noah or speaking up wherever and whenever you can? 

We all have a personal sphere of influence, and we should use that influence; likewise, each of us can also be a part of bigger campaigns that are working to speed up the energy transition. 

As we read in 2 Timothy 1:6-8, ‘For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline’. However you feel this Lent – exhausted or energised, disheartened or encouraged – let us rediscover the power we have to protect the world God loves. That often begins with prayer – and then deciding to take action with others.