I haven't written anything about my course yet, so I thought I would comment on why I'm here! There is so much to distract here in beautiful and interesting Cambridge, but as the days get colder and the trees loose their leaves, there is a draw inside to a warm homes and pubs and to the books. Since most don't have TV's, our attentions and passions get caught up in the written and spoken word, which we can all agree is powerful.
My course, called Engineering for Sustainable Development, has been what I expected and more. My thoughts about how to approach design, my ethical thoughts concerning people, how I view "developing countries" are all being challenged. Would being "developed" mean being like the US? Would that be a good thing?
They claim that Sustainable Development is a homocentric worldview, concerned about man and the environment, not ecocentric, where the environment comes first. From a biblical perspective, Adam was tasked with being a good steward of the earth, subduing the animals. When sin entered that stewardship got distorted...come the Industrial Revolution, we now experience the consequences of a hurting earth. I know this sounds a bit negative, but the evidence for global warming and scarcity of natural resources is here and now. I think this hurting is not only on the physical level but the spiritual as well. I was reading in 2 Chronicles 7:14 "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." God has the ability to heal our land. I see a need for behavioral change in his people (the world) to make that happen - a humbling, a turning from our ways. Could Biblical wisdom with all this worldly wisdom help us arrive at some answers? I have hope...
The pictures above are of some people from my course at The Eagle Pub - there are people from France, China, Barbados, US, UK, Canada, Nigeria, South Africa, Pakistan, Cyprus & Egypt. I am enjoying each of them more and more. My two closest friends so far are Emily from Portland (you can barely see her head) and Keven from Northern France (red jacket on his chair). I really appreciate Rebecca from Nigeria who left her 11 month old baby at home with dad to come to Cambridge. There are some amazing people here! (P.S. I just returned from a Christian Graduate Society International Dinner and found out 2 people from my course are Christians! Yeah! A girl named Janice from S. Africa and a guy name Huag Kin (sp?) from Canada.
The second photo is some books I am reading for my course and for encouragement. "Cradle to Cradle" is a really interesting read about rethinking manufacturing processes to reuse what we now consider waste. C.S. Lewis' "Meditations" is a compilation of excerpts of his work - the photo on the front of the book is of a bench on Jesus College green. Lewis was a Professor of Literature here at Cambridge the last 9 years of his career. What are you reading?
2 comments:
I love reading updates from you! It sounds like things are going really well! I'm just sitting around waiting to pop any day, but I'm sure life will be more interesting once Miles arrives!
Right now I'm reading a book called 'The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church' by Greg Boyd. It has been an interesting/challenging read.
Lori, I love hearing your thoughts and bennefiting from what your learning as well! Thanks for sharing.
I'm currently studying the book of Joshua. I love it! So many wonderful spiritual applications.
I also picked up a grocery bag full of autobiographies for only $2. I read Marie Osmond, Brett Butler, and now I'm starting Naomi Judd. Next will be Billy Graham. It's really interesting to learn about people. I've had quite an education on postpartum depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, spousal abuse, and life in the South.
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