The Anglican Primary School Teacher Development Day hosted by the Anglican (Hong Kong) Primary Schools Council Limited was held at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wan Chai in the morning of 2 April this year. Chartered meteorologist and former Director of the Hong Kong Observatory Mr. Lam Chiu Ying was invited to give a talk on "Man and Nature, the Education of Love". More than 2,700 teachers, principals, school supervisors, school managers and kindergarten principals attended the event.
The development day started with the morning prayer service, with Archbishop Andrew Chan offered the blessing, Rev. Chan Wing Fung as the celebrant and Rev. Yip Chi Leung gave the sermon. Rev. Yip quoted the day''s scripture in his sermon and said that Jesus taught us "to give one''s life for the sheep (brothers)", the driving force behind this was love. Love was from the Father to Jesus Christ, and it impelled the apostles and Paul to reach out, teach and nurture their followers. What they had in common was that when practicing love, they put the needs of others before their own needs.
After the morning prayer service, the award presentation ceremony began with the welcoming speech given by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Education Service, Canon Moses Mo-chi Cheng. Then the Most Revd Andrew Chan, Archbishop of the HKSKH, the Rt Revd Dr Timothy Kwok, Bishop of the Diocese of East Kowloon, the Rt. Revd Dr Matthias Der of the Diocese, Bishop of Hong Kong Island, Canon Cheng Mo-chi and Mr. Jack Sui Nga Chow presented long-term service souvenirs. Awardees included 45 staff members who served for 30 years and 18 staff members who served for 35 years, and a school manager who served for 15 years. Then Principal Lui Kwok Sum, Chairman of the Sheng Kung Hui Primary School Principals Association, delivered the vote of thank.
Human and Nature: The Education of Love
Lam Chiu Ying delivered a talk titled “Human and Nature: The Education of Love.”
Mr. Lam Chiu Ying delivered a talk titled “Human and Nature: The Education of Love.” He shared that he was an alumnus of St. Peter’s Primary School, where the school motto of the Anglican primary school, “served, but not to be served,” left a lasting impression on him. He also recalled how, during his second and third years of secondary school, he began stargazing and observing the vastness of the universe. This experience made him realize his own insignificance while simultaneously feeling like a part of something infinitely vast. This led him to study meteorology, and after graduation, he worked at the Hong Kong Observatory. Mr. Lam described this as his relationship with the physical world.
After joining the Observatory, Mr. Lam quickly realized that no matter how smart one was, weather forecasting could still be inaccurate and often drew criticism from the public. Based solely on data, natural phenomena could not be fully predicted, so soon he learned to be humble.
In his free time, Mr Lam developed a hobby of birdwatching. On one occasion, his mentor took him to the Hong Kong Cemetery to observe birds at dawn, where he saw wide variety of birds. He was surprised that a place associated with death was teeming with life, the fact sparked a sense of joy for him.
Birdwatching Reveals the Truth of Life
With years of birdwatching experience, one realised that beginners often focused on simply identifying the birds they saw, that was a Western knowledge-seeking approach. However, Mr. Lam learned to observe birds’ behaviors, their interactions, and their meanings. Once, while birdwatching, Mr. Lam got too close and was charged by a small bird trying to drive him away. To protect its nest, such a tiny creature would fearlessly confront a human, far larger than itself. This showed that a bird’s parental love could surpass human love, it’s entirely unconditional and without regret. Thus, the more Mr. Lam observed birds, the more he respected them and all living creatures.
Birdwatching also taught Mr. Lam that birds had varying feature, they’d long or short legs, long or short beaks, the different features were shaped by their environments. He wondered why nature operated so simply and effectively, while human life grew increasingly complex. Wasn’t it the wrong path humans took?
Mr. Lam believed direct contact with nature was vital. He strongly recommended schools took students birdwatching to broaden their perspectives and connect with wildlife. Nature had a healing effect, and introducing this to students would equip them with resilience.
Three Key Relationships Between Humans and Nature
Mr. Lam highlighted three critical relationships between humans and nature:
1. Climate: Temperature and humidity directly affected humans, while human actions drove climate change. Excessive consumption of power for air conditioning and over shopping caused greater harm. Most purchased goods and food were produced overseas, transportation generated significant carbon emissions. Mr. Lam advised, “buy less, buy better,” we should choose high-quality, durable items to reduce waste and consumption.
2. Sustenance: Nature provided food for humans through a delicate balance. Climate change disrupted this supply, leading to instability of food supply and rising prices. Mr. Lam urged people to cherish food and eat seasonal food.
3. Regulation: Nature regulated all species, including humans, and control population sizes through disasters, bacteria, and viruses. Global imbalance stemmed from decades of resource misuse may lead to further damage. Mr. Lam believed God wanted humans to take good care of the world.
Mr. Lam emphasised that schools should take students outdoors to admire the landscape. Such experiences brought profound impact to them and could shape their lives. Though appreciation, they would foster a desire to protect the beauty of nature. He encouraged everyone to retain hope, faith, and love, noting that even when hope and faith shaken, love remained enduring and lenient.
In response, Archbishop Andrew pointed out that caring for nature was a profound reminder for educators. Education, like “spring breeze and gentle rain,” nurtured everything from heaven and earth, reviving and nourishing life. This denoted every unique student were fostered to become a vital individual with a sense of responsibility toward nature.
The Archbishop thanked Mr. Lam for the reminder to love nature, he stressed action was crucial. Our colleagues needed to teach our students to love and have a genuine sentiment for people, things, what came about and the nature.