Robert Gillies: Let's hope we're only ones giving up something for Lent

Here we go again. It's Lent, and that means it's time to give up chocolate, alcohol or whatever we think might be bad for us. I've always been surprised by how many people do give things up for Lent and, in doing so, take this six-week season running up to Easter very seriously; not just Christians but all sorts of folk, many of whom rarely darken the door of a church.

It's heartening to see everyday folk recognising that, in denying oneself one of life's pleasures (or one of life's vices), one can actually do oneself a bit of good. But it is incredibly focused on "me" and what "I" might be doing or giving up. What if someone or something were to give up on me? Let me explain.

On Monday morning, I was in Fraserburgh having a conversation about renewable energy. On the journey up from Aberdeen, I'd passed several wind turbines and there I was in a conversation where people were talking about the need to put down some smallish wind turbines for electricity to help power the house, selling on the extra to the national grid.

The consensus was that, sooner rather than later, we'll find ourselves having power cuts because energy is running low. Nature will need a break from the demands we put on her. She'll need a rest and will give us up for a while in order to restore balance to her life.

Everyone there concluded nuclear power was the only sustainable medium-term solution for readily available electricity (however much we might dislike the fact of all that radiation). But even this is just postponing the inevitable. And the inevitable is that we've so overworked Mother Nature that she's rapidly approaching a Lenten observance of her own.

This cycle of nature is at the heart of creation. We must return to nature what she has given us. If we don't, not only will we find ourselves giving things up for Lent, but we'll find that, in our turn, we've been given up. If we don't look after our planet a little better, it's only a matter of time before the televisions we would never give up give out on us, as Mother Nature decides to do something that's good for her.

• The Rt Rev Dr Robert Gillies is Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney.