Sub-zero
temperatures could not keep tens of thousands of people (an estimated 50,000)
at home on Sunday, February 17, 2013 for a historic rally on climate change in
Washington, D.C., The Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach (CCAO) was no
exception. On the first Sunday in Lent Columbans were Presente! with current and former CCAO team members waving the
Columban JPIC flag as we stood in solidarity with Creation and all communities that suffer due to climate
change.
I was struck by a number of things over
the course of the rally. First, as we
began the Lenten journey, I was reminded of the importance of public witness as
an expression of our faith. There is no
greater radical public witness than Jesus’ journey from the gates of Jerusalem
to the Cross. He chose the garden, the streets, and
Golgotha, to make known to humanity his faithfulness and love.
As I stood on the national Mall in the
shadows of the White House and Capitol Hill, I was reminded of Jesus’ words to Caiaphas,
“I have spoken publicly to the world. In
secret I have said nothing.” (Jn 18:20).
Jesus, rejected to the point of death, looked the nay-sayers of his day
in the eyes. He faced them with
compassion, unwavering in his love for all people, knowing that his message was
not understood or accepted by the powerful and wealthy elite.
Joining thousands on the chilly Sunday
afternoon also struck home for me the importance of communion. Having named Called to Communion as our guiding vision for the next six years at
the recent General Assembly of Columban missionaries, this rally reminded me what
true communion looks and feels like. It
can be uncomfortable, tiring, even painful, but in our Catholic tradition, the
Eucharist is not symbolic gesture, but a transformation of bread and wine into
the Body and Blood of Christ. So too we
are transformed in real and concrete ways when we enter into relationships that
move us out of our comfort zone.
As Columban Fr. Naill O’Brien describes,
“[Eucharist], is nothing less than an act of revolution, a radical call for
personal and social transformation; it challenges every unjust structure and
calls to offer our lives in the struggle to change these structures.”
(N.O’Brien. Island of Tears, Island of Hope).
Understanding Communion in this way
gives new meaning and challenge to the Real Presence of God in the Eucharist
and in our lives. We are invited and
encouraged to be participants in the transformation we seek. Mystic and saint, Teresa of Avila calls us to
become God’s hands and feet, eyes and hearts in the world. I would have much preferred to comfortably
watch the rally on TV from my warm living room, but my faith impelled me to
join the crowds and shout for environmentally sound policies until my throat
was raw.
Hands and feet, voice and vision,
Columban missionaries have for decades worked to challenge structures and
change lives. Often met with rejection,
Columbans have remained faithful to JPIC as an integral part to preaching the
Gospel and mission. During our 2006 General Assembly we identified climate change
as one of our top two JPIC priorities. We
affirmed this priority at the 2012 General Assembly and expanded it by making
the connections between climate change, extractive industries, and water issues. This re-iteration comes as a result of seeing
sea levels rising in Brazil and Fiji; glaciers melting along the Andean peaks
in South America and in Pakistan; desertification and sandstorms in Korea and
China, to name a few. While some people
continue to question the realness of climate change; our missionary experience
tells us in the communion we live with that Creation and communities are
increasingly vulnerable as a result of human over-consumption.
Finally, on Sunday, frozen to the bone,
exhausted and zapped of energy I received a lifeline of warmth and hope. My phone rang. On the other end a Columban Sister
energetically asked, “Are you there?! I
can see all the people on T.V. Are you
there?” I was happy to say, “We are PRESENTE!”
For more about the climate change rally,
read this story from Ellen Teague, member of the Columban JPIC team in the UK:
www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=21979