Storms
In the first seven weeks of 2023 there have been three disastrous storms, all of which have caused great damage in the upper and central North Island. The most recent, Cyclone Gabrielle, has had the most widespread consequences. Thousands of people have been displaced; many more have suffered damage to homes and goods; many roads and bridges have been washed out; farming and horticultural land has been affected. Lives have been lost. At the time of writing, Wellington has been largely untroubled (although Wednesday evening’s earthquake was unwelcome).
How do we respond to such a disaster? Many of us will have been checking on family and friends in the affected areas. We will want to give material and moral support to our brothers and sisters. Steve Lowe, Catholic Bishop of Auckland, had already appealed to us after the last floods.
Events like this inspire the virtues of solidarity and compassion. We saw that also for many months during the Covid pandemic. But eventually, and understandably, there was an increasing desire to get back to ‘normal’, the way it was ‘before’ the pandemic. Similarly, community advocates observed after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake that poorer parts of the city were left behind. Some of the most deprived parts of Aotearoa have been badly affected by the current storms.
A disaster such as Cyclone Gabrielle requires us to think beyond immediate responses. Climate scientists have rightly noted that human-induced climate change makes such storms more severe. The storms have also revealed evidence of environmental irresponsibility in some areas.
Lent is a time for conversion – changing hearts. Pope Francis writes about ecological conversion in Laudato Si’: ‘Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience’ (para 217). But, the pope reminds us, it is not only about individual self-improvement, not only about personal holiness. ‘Social problems must be addressed by community networks and not simply by the sum of individual good deeds’ (para 219).
As we approach Lent, may we remember that compassion and solidarity – and the other principles of Catholic social teaching, among them stewardship of creation, the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, and the common good – are both urgent and needed for the long haul. A good summary of these principles is at https://www.caritas.org.nz/catholic-social-teaching.
Jim McAloon
