4 minute read
We Are Resilient People
Vulnerability in the Context of the Pacific
By Rev. Sepiuta Hala’api’api, Diocesan Secretary and Registrar for the Anglican Diocese of Polynesia
Born to Tongan missionary parents and raised in Fiji, Rev. Sepiuta Hala’api’api is one of the few young women in ordained ministry. Prior to her current role as the Diocesan Secretary and Registrar for the Anglican Diocese of Polynesia, she served as the Diocesan Youth Director for her Diocese, as well as worked with the World Council of Churches’ Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA). She is passionate about preaching, music, and caring for God’s Creation. She also loves to travel.
Pacific Climate Warriors
Each day of our journey, as individuals, and as a community, we face vulnerabilities – whereby we are exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally.
There are different types of vulnerability, which includes social, cognitive, environmental, emotional or military.
Since early 2020, two years ago, the Pacific region – Oceania, has been exposed to the global pandemic, The Coronavirus (Covid-19) and its variants. To date, only two island nations, atolls, remain with no recorded Covid-19 cases – Nauru and Tuvalu.
However, even before the global pandemic came about, our island nations in the Pacific region, has been dealing with an even bigger, longstanding challenge – the environmental challenge of Global Warming – an environmental vulnerability.
Our Pacific Islands are extremely vulnerable to climate change. The most substantial impacts of climate change include losses of coastal infrastructure and land, more intense cyclones and droughts, failure of subsistence crops and coastal fisheries, losses of coral reefs and mangroves, changing and unpredictable seasonal patterns, and the spread of certain diseases.
The Cyclone season in Fiji, ranges from mid-October to mid-April every year. Due to the changing climate conditions, we have experienced more intense tropical cyclones during this period. Growing up, I only knew a tropical cyclone by the name it was given. Ever since Tropical Cyclone rampaged Fiji in February 2016, we have become familiar with the different categories of cyclones, the higher the category, the more intense and destructive, the cyclone.
Due to the more frequent tropical cyclones, we have had to experience the changing seasonal patterns of crops and fruits locally grown. Due to the frequent tropical cyclones, our islands suffer from consistent clean drinking water and power supply. Due to the tropical cyclones, we are vulnerable.
But in the midst of our vulnerabilities, our people in Fiji learnt a lot of lessons.
We are Resilient people
In the midst of our vulnerability, we have been able to adapt and adapt to changes in our way of living. Whilst being vulnerable to the changing weather patterns due to Global Warming, communities now have adapted changes such as a change in lifestyle, a change in the farming methods, a change in how we build and rebuild our homes, a change in how we deal with new diseases.
Prevention is better than Cure
This famous quote is one of few that best reflects our context in situations of challenge and vulnerability. Whilst many focus on the post-disaster and how to rebuild what has been lost, physically, mentally, spiritually, through the years we have learnt to prepare ourselves better; being better prepared to face a cyclone, a flood, a drought, etc.
We are interconnected
When one part of our pacific islands suffers, we all suffer together. This is true of St Paul’s words to the Corinthians – we are all parts of one Body.
1 Corinthians 12:25
I wish to make special mention of our islands of Tonga – and our people who are only just beginning to recover from the trauma of the volcanic eruption, the tsunami and ashfall experienced. While this historic event happened just over a month ago, Tonga now faces the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, with positive cases arising recently. Today, people still feel traumatised by the sound of a loud noise, or a scream; people still feel vulnerable as they have lost their livelihoods, their homes, some have lost members of their family.
Pacific Adaptation Image courtesy of Pacific Conference of Churches
And while the world begins to pour in aid and assistance, a reflection of God’s Love, some of the greatest testimonies and experiences shared from our Tongan sisters and brothers, are that of being community in the midst of fear; being interconnected, praying and singing together, and knowing that many around the world have continued to uphold the island kingdom in prayer.
As we approach the Season of Lent – a 40-day season marked by repentance, fasting, reflection and ultimately celebration, it is a time when we remember the vulnerable journey of our Saviour, as Jesus Christ himself became vulnerable to social, political, and religious oppressions.
And as we approach Ash Wednesday 2022, the beginning of this Lent journey, while the ashes of this holiday symbolise two main things: death and repentance;
“Ashes are equivalent to dust, and human flesh is composed of dust or clay (Genesis 2:7), and when a human corpse decomposes, it returns to dust or ash,”
We continue to uphold in prayer our sisters and brothers in Tonga, who have only just recovered from a similar experience of the ashfall, following the volcanic eruption.
With this focus on our own mortality and sinfulness, it is our hope that we can enter into the Lent season solemnly, while also looking forward in greater anticipation and joy of the message of Easter and Christ’s ultimate victory over sin and death. His death on the Cross to save us, and His resurrection to assure us of His gift of Salvation.
