Just a few minutes into BBC’s Wild Isles, and we have seen the beautiful and yet brutal circle of life reflected in an orca hunting a seal pup. ‘Nothing is wasted,’ Attenborough says, as he narrates alongside stunning footage of the habitat and the hunt. This is a key wonder in nature. Nothing is wasted. Every piece and particle will return to the natural cycle to become, once again, a crucial part of the regeneration of life.
In many cases, humans have not been so good at this. Every day, we pour more and more waste into our environment. And, as David Attenborough has said to the press as part of the WWF Save the Wild Isles campaign, ‘Nature is in crisis.’
Whilst this particular campaign and TV series is heavily focused on Britain, its messages are relevant to all of us on a much wider scale. Because, if nature suffers, we all do – especially people living in poverty.
God in creation
The glorious wonder of creation is, as always with Attenborough’s work, front and centre. In Psalm 19:1, the psalmist writes, ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.’ Creation’s magnificence draws our eyes to the Creator. To the one who spoke into being this planet, this life in all its plant and animal incarnations, this beauty, this system of growth and regeneration and divine design that works together in intricate perfection.
If we are inclined to forget, for a moment, the wonder of God, the images of creation captured in BBC Wild Isles are a stunning reminder. If we want inspiration to work toward repairing what has been damaged, then here it is too.
Because, as David Attenborough has said in this campaign, ‘The truth is, every one of us, no matter who we are, or where we live, can and must play a part in restoring nature.’
