Admittedly, this article differs from the one I may have written merely a few weeks ago. In a time that so rapidly has turned the former reality we all knew on its head, how do we collect our thoughts and begin to make sense of the new reality in which we find ourselves?
Perhaps one place to start is in the origin of the word “crisis” itself. Unlike the modern connotation which misleadingly invokes a sense of panic, the word “crisis” arose in the 15th century as a Latinized version of the Greek “krisis,” meaning “turning point in a disease, that change which indicates recovery or death,” or “vitally important or decisive state of things, point at which change must come, for better or worse” (ref, https://www.etymonline.com/). Taken in this context, a crisis represents the point at which things must change, and implies that if there is action to be taken to affect the outcome, it is at this critical (“crisis”) juncture.
Historically, a “crisis” also represents the time when things are changing most rapidly, a time of greatest uncertainty. Uncertainty breeds fear, and in fear comes the greatest risk of inequity. The current crisis is no exception: those with the least means to suffer the loss of a job, the most food insecurity, the poorest underlying health conditions, or most socially isolated, are now those most likely to suffer the greatest impacts. In Matthew, Jesus teaches that, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40). But which one is at fault, when it is all who are at fault?
If there are lessons to be taken from our current crisis, perhaps they are to see that we are all interdependent, and we are all accountable. One of the surprise outcomes of the “sheltering-in-place” happening globally is to see the impact that we humans have on our natural resources. In an instant, food supply chains become depleted; canals in Venice run clear of pollution, with water that is transparent and once again abundant in sea life; disposable plastic waste increases exponentially; air pollution over major metropolitan areas disappears overnight. The natural world – and our dependence on it – stands out in stark relief. We once again become humbled in our service and servitude to the creation that God has so kindly bestowed, and which challenges us in its awesome nature.
We must think of the lessons that this current “crisis” is teaching us about another impending crisis: that of nature, the environment and our relation to it. Though more prolonged in time, we face another turning point much larger in scale, a point at which “change must come, for better or worse.” And heeding these lessons, we can choose to act in ways that stand to benefit our greater good, to mitigate uncertainty and protect the most vulnerable. The ELCA, in its 1993 Social Statement, outlined four principles for how we how we enact Justice in our caring for Creation: Participation (all are entitled to be heard and their positions considered); Solidarity (we stand together as God’s creation); Sufficiency (meeting the basic needs of all humanity and creation); and Sustainability (providing an acceptable quality of life for present generations without compromising that of future generations).
Fundamentally flawed, we as humans see how quickly behaviors such as hoarding and inequities in resource allocation can take hold. Yet as servants of God, in times of crisis we can make conscious choices to act in ways that meaningfully impact outcomes. While change may be inevitable, our influence on it remains firmly in our control. A quote from the German tradition (often attributed to Martin Luther) reads: “If I knew the world was to end tomorrow, I would still plant an apple tree today.” As we navigate together through this current crisis, may our hearts and minds be open to the greater lessons of Participation, Solidarity, Sufficiency and Sustainability that God most mercifully bestows, and may we learn to apply that wisdom for the benefit of all creation.
May God’s peace be with us all, and protect us now and always.
—Brian Lestini, Green Team chair