Advent Within the Pandemic

 

Johanes Baptista Adhi Samudro

            The Advent cry from the Prophet Isaiah holds new meaning for our times and greater urgency because of the global COVID – 19 pandemic. In the face of such extreme suffering and heartache as a result of COVID – 19, as well as the economic, political, social unrest and uncertainty across our world, together with the devastating impact of climate change on our planet and on our lives, I hope and pray my reflection will comfort you and your communities in your waiting, hoping and longing!

            "Be watchful!" was the slogan at the very commencement of the Season of Advent. Our "waiting, hoping and longing" is not different from the call to "be watchful". However, the waiting, hoping and longing had been misinterpreted in the past, especially during Advent, as the preparation for a material Christmas. It is not necessary to describe this type of preparation in detail, for we know how we waited, hoped and were longing for so much during this season in the past. We were not "watchful" in the way Jesus called us to be.

            The present pandemic has caused all these for a significant change: what we are waiting, hoping and longing for is a cure: a divine intervention in the healing of those affected by the virus and divine providence in its eradication from mother earth.

            As followers of Christ, we share a common role as stewards of God's creation, and our well – being is linked to the well – being of our mother earth. It is also a moment of renewing our hearts and minds, and in rebuilding our relationship with Mother Earth, we are restoring our relationship with God.

            In these months in which our globalised world has been severely affected by the COVID – 19 pandemic, we became aware of our shared human nature and how interconnected the political, economic, social, spiritual and cultural dimensions are. We realised how unjust systems created the environment for the spread of diseases, how fragile our lives are, and how vulnerable we were before the virus. The pandemic also became an opportunity for us to join hands to defend lives and ensure that we do not fall victims of the virus. It is also an opportunity for a new form of solidarity to emerge.

            The Season of Advent invites us to reflect on our roles and responsibilities in building a just and equitable society which would give the possibility for each and every one of us to live in dignity and in harmony with Mother Earth. As Christians, our relationship with the environment can never be isolated from our relationship with others and with God, and COVID – 19 must be for us a call to respect our common home.

            As Pope Francis reminded us during his catechesis on August 26^th, this home was given by God to the whole human race, and as stewards of creation, we are called to ensure that its fruits, are in fact shared by all. But unfortunately the reality that we observe every day doing our work alongside local communities are the first victims of the failure to safeguard our common home and today they are asking us for targeted and immediate action, especially concerning food security, access to water and ecosystem preservation.

            "O that today you would tear the heavens and come down to us, O God; come be with us; Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful: all of us have become unclean people. Be not so very angry Lord, keep not our guilt forever in mind look upon us Lord, for we are all your people." (Isaiah 64).