The Potential of Uncertainty
The Potential of Uncertainty
By John Din, Columban Lay Missionary
The Covid pandemic has brought the world to a halt. Before, nobody thought that anything can stop people from travelling, working, organizing, and attending events etc. It was worse at the global level. This virus, with a mere mass of 0.1mg, managed to put the world into chaos.
During the pandemic, almost all pastoral ministries stopped. Regular meetings, conventions and seminars were abruptly called off, leaving people in a state of anxiety and of chaos. Suddenly, we had to contemplate the most important question, “What is essential to life? More importantly, who are those more essential?” Farmers came to the top of the list, followed by the health workers, service providers etc.
One ministry that I am involved in most of my time is the Laudato Si’ Movement Pilipinas. We used to gather regularly with partner organizations to plan and organize activities promoting the Pope’s encyclical in the context of the climate emergency. This was greatly affected by the pandemic. We were forced to rethink new ways of engaging with people and society’s issues.
We started teleconferencing through the Zoom platform to connect and pray together for the Earth and the Global Health Crisis. What we expected as just a brief experience of gathering became a regular online meeting every Friday. Unexpectedly, people’s ability to adapt to the new platforms of engaging with others through online or virtual vents was sharpened by the pandemic.
From the regular prayer for the frontliners, the meeting became a means to organize online events in celebrating major events such as the Laudato Si’ Week and the Season of Creation. During the season of creation 2021, we conducted a daily reflection organized by different groups/sectors around the country from September 1st until the second Sunday of October (the indigenous peoples Sunday). Looking back, I still wonder how we were able manage it.
The pandemic years may have been a time of great chaos and uncertainty, yet it has also provided us the momentum to rethink and explore new ways of doing things. The online platform enabled us to connect with groups/organizations in remote areas around the country which were seemingly unreachable before. The limits of physical distancing did not quell the human desire to engage and connect. It was through the online platforms that the struggles and different sectors, from fisher folks, farmers, women and the indigenous people, were brought to the fore.
Amidst an apparent state of chaos and uncertainty, we were surprised to see how we have reached and engaged with more people compared to the years since the 2016 foundation of Global Catholic Climate Movement Pilipinas (now the Laudato Si’ Movement Pilipinas.) It was during this time that the spirit of creativity gave birth to new ways of looking at the reality and doing ministry.
John Din (L) with the Civil Society Organization during the Climate change march for COP27