Living-out a Real Community – what is True and what is Relevant

Living-out a Real Community – what is True and what is Relevant
(A Reflection About the Issues in the Arctic)

As people of faith, we look to the scriptures as our guide for the choices we make in our lives. We are guided to live a moral and responsible lifestyle: we are to do justice, love kindness and mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Mic. 6:6-8). The scriptures compel us to act on our faith through reverence, love, and respect for all.

Living out to a new community entails me to learn a lot of things. But most of it all, it’s the living out for Justice, when no one speaks for all. In my two weeks and doing lot of research, observing through panel sessions and committee hearings on issues we are dealing, my lenses cleared-up as to what we should do in circumstances in order to involve social relevance.

But we do this if we ought to understand to know realities and speak up from our civic consciousness to things that matter – things that are relevant.

I am currently placed at National Religious Partnership for the Environment (NRPE). I am working on researches and crafting drafts on faith statements and opinion pieces towards issues. I recently come across issues on Offshore Drilling and Wildlife Refuge. As climate change obviously alter our lifestyle gradually but enormously, we should not dish out these issues where our neighbors across our place is at stake. But come to think, we are all under the same world. Our economic and environmental preservation have threats on recessions. On such dealings where I ask myself, “what would be the things that matter?” and “what should be the right (relevant) thing to do?” Sitting in my chair inside the office is a different thing, but there should be something I can give from a mindset and heart that is pounding.

Perhaps, that’s the reason why I’m here. To speak up, when no one listens. To stand out, when no one leads. To reach out, when no one does. And to do what is best thing on my desk, and tell the world though the power of the pen what would be the face of our future if we don’t take this in mind.

The Reality

The reality is, halfway across our place is melting and we wish not to harm further the peril. Current government administration in the US is more interested of becoming a global energy leader although warned with many possible consequences when they have an environmental aggression on the things bound by parameters on the past. Of course, we would not want oil spills to happen again. We wish not the aquatic lifestyle die on such a lame.

Wildlife in the Arctic region is very vulnerable to such a catastrophe, as it can damage a lot of animals and their habitat, including those which are likely to become extinct like Polar Bears, Arctic Foxes, Beluga Whales, Narwhals, Walruses, Bearded Seals, and Ringed Seals. What acts of justice can we do for them, as part of God’s creation?

God's creation is groaning for being exposed to and being under the peril of injustice and greed.

The Relevant

With these, we are called for environmental responsibility. As we have the opportunities for social action and representation under the law, we must take the initiative to make the government understand. This is an opportunity of hope. We are called for self and societal transformation through civic responsibilities in the community.  

We are called by Jesus to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. We encourage people to join us in this civic consciousness and be driven by the opportunities of hope and justice.

In our day to day living, we should be open enough to be oriented that experiences tell us of the detrimental impact of similar activities in the environment. We should learn from it.

What is my excitement towards these things?

My heart is so much pounded on the fact that there is a call to oneness. There is a power over the streets, there is a weapon over a pen, there is a good battle through education, and there is love over civic and lawful dialogues. But above all, there is wonder in God’s creation us being convicted by His word.

Denying a Pseudo-Community and see what is Real

We should yield form a fake and seeming apathetic community. We should focus towards a justice for all. Where despite our different perspectives and lenses of seeing what is out there, we are all concerned to life – a thing that matters most. Pseudo-Community in a sense is a place where one tries to be fit, to be okay in one’s neighborhood. But at the end, we do not see what matters.

When we are internally good enough and know what peace is and true unity amidst differences, we are moving towards a real community.

With these, may we be reminded of two words to put on the walk. Be Relevant, and speak for what is Real.


Kevin John Maddela
GBCS EYA Summer Intern 2017
National Religious Partnership for the Environment
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