I first discovered the CRES course whilst reading Peter Harris’ excellent book ‘Kingfisher’s Fire’. At the time I had some big questions – about the state of the earth and the issues facing the natural world. The world we live in today seems so downgraded compared to early accounts given in scripture that part of me wondered whether the Lord is still interested in creation today. I hoped that maybe the CRES course would help me to find some answers to these questions.
The first module – ‘The Living World’ – helped to reaffirm some of the wonder and beauty of creation. It also confirmed that scripture reveals a great deal about creation and the Lord’s love for it. As I worked through subsequent modules I learnt much more about the natural world, the challenges it faces as a result of the actions of mankind, and also a whole range of initiatives to try and take better care of the world around us.
During in my studying, I became fascinated by the interdependencies and interactions between different species and their habitat – the larger ‘landscape of ecology’ – and the perfectness and completeness of the Lord’s design. From this two questions arose – ‘How did the Lord intend us to live on his earth? And how should we live as part of his ‘community of creation’?
For my second year project I investigated principles for sustainable agriculture, and particularly the significance of healthy soil biology. I studied biblical principles of sustainability, and found them still very relevant today. So I enjoyed discovering how God’s ‘Book of Words’ (the bible) still relates to God’s ‘Book of Works’ (the natural world around us).
I would recommend this course to anyone with an interest in understanding more about the natural world around us, humanities impact upon it, and what scripture reveals about Christ the Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer of creation.
Martin
CRES graduate 2016