St Edmund's
Chapel Blog
The theme of Senior School Chapel this term is “hope”.
We are immensely fortunate to have a Chaplain who structures our Chapel programme in a thoughtful, inclusive and relevant way.
Today, Reverend Atkins focused on our shared responsibility for the environment.
This is an issue that is acutely relevant for us all and a subject of particular concern for young people.
For example, a survey by Action Aid showed that 90% of young Europeans (15-35) consider climate change and environmental degradation as the most serious global threats. Nearly half (46%) expressed extreme concern.
Reverend Atkin’s message to ay was a powerful one: despite the scale of the issue, we all have agency and can make a difference by our own decision making and involvement.
She urged us to “take responsibility for our own actions – we might not be able to solve climate change on our own, but we can all choose to practice the 3 R’s: reduce, re-use, recycle.”
She also discussed Sir David Attenborough as an example of an individual who has had a significant impact on raising awareness of climate change and the natural environment during his remarkable life. This Thursday, 8 May, to mark his 99th birthday, Sir David is launching a new documentary in which he reflects on approaching the end of his life. He is using this significant personal milestone to inspire us to be more proactive in working together to care for the planet.
Reverend Atkins left us with the powerful message that “hope is proactive” and urged us all “to commit some of our free time to learn more about ways to make small changes that will have a big impact on the environment.”
Her choice of hymn “All things bright and beautiful” was especially apt and poignant given the content of her address.