Just Living: Christians Aware Summer School, 2025

Members of Christians Aware gathered from all over the UK for the 2025 Summer School. They were joined by members from Zambia, Iraq and Kenya. Three friends came from Kenya to represent the newly formed 'Christians Aware - Kenya.'

As the week, held in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales 20-25 July, progressed, participants also moved, to become a community, living, studying the Bible, singing and learning together.

The first activity of the week was a quiz which catapulted everyone into thinking mode when they struggled to find answers to some quite obscure questions about possible options for future sustainability. Cordelia Paterson, a member of 'Green Christian', spoke about the sustainability of a wide range of foods and a noisy but informative game challenged teams to grade various foods, with peas turning out to be the most sustainable option - not necessarily good news.

Microscopes were distributed to everyone by Judith Allinson, a botanist living in the area. She talked about her love of lichens and helped everyone to peer through the microscopes at the beautiful creations hidden from the naked eye. An expedition took people onto the moors in search of wild flowers, lichens and leaves, and fantastic views across the moors. Later in the week flowers were pressed and greeting cards were made.

Judith Allinson, came to speak and was the envy of all when he talked about his farm on the slopes of Ingleborough where 400 'hefted' Dales bred sheep are free to wander for miles within the invisible boundaries they know by instinct. John threw out a challenge to everyone to value the food they eat and where it comes from. His care for his animals and for nature shone through his presentation. He spoke of fields full of lambs, calves and curlews. He spoke of efforts being made to bring methane levels down and to plant trees and hedges at the same time as appreciating the characteristic dry stone walls criss-crossing the Dales and providing boundaries, shelter and a home for insects.

Most members of the school had the opportunity to have a bird's eye view of the limestone landscape of the Dales, adorned by the incredible dry stone walls, when Jane Skinner led a pilgrimage through the grounds of Parcevall Hall and up flights of steps to a high point overlooking a valley and then more hills. On a later pilgrim walk Jane led the way along the River Wharfe, a footbridge giving an opportunity to compete with 'Pooh Sticks' before the path led on through ancient woods to a distant view of Bolton Abbey, in pre-dissolution times the home of Augustinian Canons. The pilgrims reached the abbey and the end of the walk either by footbridge or stepping stones. Jane gave a talk on pilgrimages and far and near, old and new, and members shared their own experiences, including Assisi, the Holy Land, Egypt and in the footsteps of the Celtic saints.

Euan McPhee and Nona Wright led everyone in the footsteps of pioneers who created the Lifestyle Movement in America and the UK. One of many inspiring communities was Koinonia Farm in Georgia where a firm stand was taken for human equality at the height of Ku Klux Klan persecution of anyone who opposed segregation. The income of the community came from pecan nuts and it was here that 'Habitat for Humanity' was first launched. The person most responsible for the growth of the lifestyle movement to 'live more simply' in the UK was Horace Dammers in the 1970s. The focus was on sharing, redistribution, re-using, re-cycling and fair shares for all. This was no hair shirt philosophy but rather the articulation of a way forward which would, even though it would take more time, bring relief from stress, creativity and happiness.

'Creating a sustainable and desirable future', was the title of Stephen Skinner's presentation based on his wide reading. The challenge to every person is to ask the question, 'Do we need to overcome our addiction to growth at all costs and to work for 'sustainable shrinking?' Stephen's approach was to divide people into groups to discuss issues and to answer questions such as, 'How can we present a more inspiring, positive and visionary world view so as to contribute to a more compelling Zeitgeist?'

Rich Gower gave a talk based on the title of his book, 'The Hopeful Activist,' which took us into questions of what we want to do in our suffering world, what is actually needed and how to get going. A big question for every person is whether what we do 'will last into eternity' and the best resource we have for all our work is Christian hope. Hope was the note on which the summer school ended: hope in each person going home with new resources and encouragement to live justly and to walk humbly with God.

Barbara Butler is the Executive Secretary of Christians Aware.

LINK

Christians Aware: https://christiansaware.org.uk/