2. We are all in it together Dr. Cherian Samuel Page

Dr. Cherian Samuel

Introduction. At the broadest level, the principle that “We are all in in together” (WAAIIT), may be considered as the sine qua non of the human condition. This essay explores selected aspects of the WAAIIT principle—mainly from an atonement perspective—which had become a rallying cry of solidarity at the height of the COVID-19 crisis. The essay is divided into three sections. The first section investigates biblical references to the WAAIIT principle, anchored in the theology of atonement. The second section discusses the nuances to the WAAIIT principle in the context of the Climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, which have become existential threats to humanity. The third section concludes the essay. I Fall of Man. The Bible is the continuing story of God and His people journeying together on a path of redemption. God created the heavens and the earth in the beginning (Genesis 1:1), by His word and with the breath of His mouth (Psalm 33:6). Unlike the rest of creation, God created humanity in His own image, with the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). God also granted humanity “dominion” over all created things (Genesis 1:26)—a stewardship role really—under His delegated authority. King David recognized and honored God’s sovereignty before the assembly of Israel—as they made generous and willing offerings to build the temple for the LORD God (1 Chronicles 29:920)—and stated categorically that everything came from the LORD, emphasizing his own unworthiness in giving to the Lord (1 Chronicles 29:14-16).

In sharp contrast, the Fall of Man emanated from Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God, their deliberate and willful violation God’s command not to eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16–17), following the prompting and leading of Satan—cast down from heaven to earth due to his own rebellion against God (Luke 10:18), masquerading as a serpent to Adam and Eve—leading to sin and death (Romans 6:23). However, God killed an animal and made garments for Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness and shame (Genesis 3:21), foreshadowing the establishment of the sacrificial system for the pardoning of humanity’s sin (Leviticus 4:35, 5:10), culminating with redemption by the blood of the Lamb of God (Revelation 7:14), Jesus Christ.

Atonement. God chose the people of Israel for a special relationship, through the calling of Abraham (Genesis 12: 1-4). God made Israel a great nation, giving them the land of Canaan and His law for living (Exodus 20-31). God wanted the Israelites to remain loyal, obeying Him and worshipping Him alone. God also promised to bless them if they obeyed, but would chasten them, if they disobeyed (Deuteronomy: 27, 28). God also established a sacrificial system for the people, which prescribed the offering of sacrificesi for atoning for sins, albeit temporarily, since the sacrifices had to be continually offered every year (Hebrews 11: 1-3). God ordained priests to represent the people before Him, since the people could not come directly into the presence of God.

A pivotal element of the sacrificial system was the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27-28)—Yom Kippur—the most solemn holy day of all the Israelite feasts and festivals, when the High Priest performed elaborate rituals to atone for the sins of the people, in the Holy of Holies (Leviticus 16:1-34). At the heart of the sacrificial system was the shedding of blood, which made atonement for those covered by the sacrifice, and set them free from the consequences of sin (Leviticus 17:11).

Gospel as Atonement. The “Gospel”—the good news of the reconciliation between holy God and sinful humanity through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18, 19)—is anchored in the principle of substitutionary atonement, i.e., Jesus dying on the cross as a substitute for sinners, bearing the guilt and punishment for sin, and imputing His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus has also commanded His disciples to proclaim and share the Gospel through His Great Commission (Matthew 28: 19-20, Mark 16: 15-16), the core mission of the Church.

Christ’s death on the cross was also the fulfillment of God’s promise to the children of Israel of a Messiah in the Old Testament, with over 300 specific prophecies. Prophet Isaiah—700 years before Jesus was born— prophesied that the Messiah would be wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our inequities, with the chastisement for our peace upon Him (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus made the “once for all” sacrifice—sufficient and complete forever, for all who would believe in Him—that ended the sacrificial system (Hebrews 7:27). Sin was both propitiated and expiated God’s way, through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

Church as Atonement Community. The reconciliation between God and Humanity through the atoning death of Jesus also makes the Church an atonement community, wherein God calls us to be reconciled to one another, as well as to a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18) as Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). The Early Church—the ekklesia of Jesus followers, united by purpose and mission—was marked by a deep sense of unity and care for one anotherii . The Early Christians were gathered together in one place; they shared their possessions and were of one heart and soul (Acts 2:1, Acts 2:43, Acts 4:32). In his epistles, Apostle Paul referred to believers as “one body in Christ”, transcending varieties of giftedness (Romans 12:5-8, 1 Corinthians 12:13, 1 Corinthians 12:27-30), and people groups (Galatians 3:28, Ephesians 2:14-15, Ephesians 3:6).

In his 2007 book titled, “A Community Called Atonement”, Scott McKnight has explored various aspects of atonement, based on a critical analysis of the different doctrines. The book offers a constructive theology, suggesting that atonement fundamentally shapes the life of the Church and the Christian. Christ has called the Church into a community that reflects God's love by loving others with acts of mercy and justice, as the shining example of God's reconciliation with Humanity in a dark world. The Church becomes an Atonement Community every time it considers the story of Jesus, and every time it identifies itself with that story, and every time it invites others to listen to that story.

II

Climate Crisis. Scientific evidence suggests that, Climate Change—long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns globally—has accelerated in the past 200 years, driven by unprecedented global warming that has led to global temperatures rising 1.1°C since the 1800s, with the last decade (2011-2020) the warmest on record. Human activities have been the main driver of climate change— primarily from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas— which generate greenhouse gas emissions that trap the sun’s heat and raise temperatures. The worst climate change impacts include the melting of the ice mass at the poles, which in turn causes rising sea level and ocean acidification, leading to flooding and damage to coastal environments. Climate change also increases the incidence of extreme weather, drought, fires, resulting in the destruction of flora and fauna. The adverse impacts of Climate Change are also undermining the ability of countries to attain Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). According to the World Bank, no country is immune from the Climate Crisis, with deleterious effects on human wellbeing and poverty. If unchecked, climate change will push 132 million people into poverty over the next 10 years, erasing hard-won development gains. Climate change could also drive 216 million people to migrate within their own countries by 2050, with hotspots of internal migration emerging as soon as 2030, spreading and intensifying thereafter. While climate change mitigation is the solution to address the climate change challenge at its roots, adaptation is an immediate and win–win action to increase resilience and reduce climate-related impacts and risks.

Climate Justice. Climate Justice deals with the equity issues of Climate Change, pertaining to the varied social, economic, and health impacts on society. In particular, while the responsibility for climate change rests with the wealthy and the powerful, it disproportionately affects the poorest and most vulnerable. Poor and developing countries—particularly the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS)—are among those most adversely affected and least able to cope with climate-related shocks to social, economic and natural systems. A related and broader concept is Environmental Justice—the fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens, equitable treatment, and meaningful engagement with all people regardless of race, ethnicity or income—focused on environmental issues such as air quality, hazardous waste and water, soil pollution, and ecosystem destruction. Environmental stewardship refers to diverse actions that aim to conserve, protect, and create a more sustainable environment, and enhance human well-being.

COVID-19 Pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented global catastrophe with wide-ranging and far-reaching effects. As of August 25, 2022, there have been 596,119,505 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, including 6,457,101deaths, as per the World Health Organization (WHO, https://covid19.who.int/). The regional breakdown of the pandemic is: Europe (246,969,007); Americas (174,839,877); Western Pacific (82,177,066); South-East Asia (59,914,838); Eastern Mediterranean (22,946,608); Africa (9,271,345). The worst pandemic-affected countries are: the United States (92,615,784); India (44,378,920); Brazil (34,311,323); France (33,402,681); Germany (31,970,779); the United Kingdom (23,493,327); Republic of Korea (22,701,921); Italy (21,721,630); Russia (19,265,521); Japan (17,756,658); Türkiye (16,671,848); Spain (13,323,784).

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted lives across all countries and communities, negatively affecting global economic growth, with millions of people thrust into poverty, and the loss of tens of trillions of dollars from the world economy. The pandemic has also disrupted education, resulting in significant learning loss. The emergence of new COVID-19 variants has prolonged the pandemic,

leading to more economic dislocations, with continued supply chain bottlenecks, energy price volatility, and rising inflation.

As per the March 2022 Roadmap for Living with COVID study, the pandemic has disproportionately impacted people of color, rural communities, tribal lands, and other underserved groups and locations, exacerbating existing health disparities (https://www.covidroadmap.org/roadmap). The study concluded that solutions and strategies must prioritize health equity and the reduction of health disparities, with the goal of building a public health system capable of reaching vulnerable and historically neglected populations. In the near term, public health responses must recognize variations in need across different communities, and tailor investments, outreach, and public health programming to individual communities. Public health authorities also have to acknowledge historic and current factors leading to distrust of the government and healthcare system and design and launch interventions to restore minority communities' trust in them.

III Conclusions. The providential nature of God’s redemptive plan for Humanity through Atonement in the Old and New Testament demonstrates well the We Are All In It Together principle. Atonement is also the Gospel, the good news of the Holy God reconciling with sinful humanity through the atoning death of His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ. In addition, the Church—the ekklesia of Jesus—is the Atonement community with the mandate to love others, Jesus’s primary command to His followers (1 John 3:11). The sense of solidarity that emerges from reconciliation with God, ourselves, one another, and all creation is powerful and significant. As believers, we are more than conquerors through Him who has loved us (Romans 8:37).

There are important parallels between the Climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic—both existential threats to Humanity—regarding the broad application of the WAAIIT principle. However, the pandemic has also shown that people can live in a bubble, though no one can be completely protected, i.e., “No one is safe until everyone is safe”iii . Even so, tackling the COVID-19 crisis as a united body has been and remains vital for the vitality and welfare of Humanity. Likewise, solidarity is essential for addressing the Climate crisis. In addition, given our collective carbon emissions as Humanity, Climate Change and the related aspects of Climate Justice present an unprecedented moral dilemma for Christians, impinging on Jesus’s foundational command to Love One Another. Humanity has been called to care for the neighbors of the future and the present. The relationship between the ethical considerations of Climate Change—the knowledge that our uncaring actions cause harm to others—and the practice of the Christian faith has been challenging. For both the Climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, the logic of collective action emanates from self-interest— derived from the urgency for self-preservation—rather

[1] The English word atonement originally meant "at-one-ment", i.e., being "at one", in harmony, with someone.

[2] As per Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We%27re_All_In_This_Together), “We're All In This Together” is a common expression of solidarity. It may refer to: (i) Music (We're All In This Together, a 2017 album by Walter Trout; "We're All in This Together", 2006 High School Musical song; "We're All In This Together", a Ben Lee song from the album, Awake Is the New Sleep; "We're All In This Together”, a song by Old Crow Medicine Show from their self-titled album; “We're All Alone in This Together”, a 2021 studio album by Dave); (ii) Other uses (“The I Heart Revolution: We're All in This Together”, a documentary film by Hillsong United; “We're All In This Together”, a 2005 collection of short stories and a novella by Owen King; "We're All In This Together", a catchphrase of Red Green; “We're All in This Together”, a 2021 comedy-drama film directed by Katie Boland).

[3] The Old Testament lists five sacrifices/offerings: (i) burnt offering (Leviticus 1; 6:8–13; 8:18-21; 16:24); (ii) grain offering (Leviticus 2; 6:14–23); (iii) peace offering (Leviticus 3; 7:11–34); (iv) sin offering (Leviticus 4; 5:1–13; 6:24–30; 8:14–17; 16:3–22); (v) trespass offering (Leviticus 5:14–19; 6:1–7; 7:1–6).

4] There are seven Jewish festivals or feasts outlined in the Bible (Leviticus 23), appointed and ordained by God for honoring His name. Beginning in the spring, the seven Jewish feasts are: (i) Passover (Leviticus 23:4-5); (ii) Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6-8); (iii) Feast of First fruits (Leviticus 23:9–14); (iv) Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-22); (v) Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25); (vi) Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32); (vii) Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-29). The Jewish feasts served as reminders of God’s ongoing protection and provision to the people of Israel.

[5] The April 2021 FOCUS issue (“Be the Gospel of Christ”, Vol. 9(2)) presents an exhaustive discussion on the Gospel theme (https://www.scribd.com/document/499881336/Focus-April2021)

[6] Theologians also view Christ’s death on the cross viewed as penal substitution—wherein one person bears the penalty deserved by someone else—and as atonement for sin.

[7] Apostle Paul discusses the relevance and importance of Christ’s death in several passages: Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6); Christ died for us, while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8); Christ was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification (Romans 4:25); Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3); Christ gave Himself for our sins (Galatians 1:4); We have redemption through the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7).

[8] While propitiation is the act of appeasing the wrath of God, expiation is the act of atoning for sin and removing it from the sinner. The sufficiency and completeness of the sacrifice of Christ may also be seen in the two goats that played a central role on the Day of Atonement. The blood of the first goat was

sprinkled on the Ark of the covenant—which housed the Ten Commandments and served as a constant reminder of God’s presence with the children of Israel during their 40-year journey to the Promised Land from Egyptian slavery—for ritually appeasing the wrath of God for another year. The second goat removed the sins of the people into the wilderness, where they were forgotten and no longer clung to the people, and therefore a living parable of God’s promise that He would remove our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12) and that He would remember them no more (Hebrews 8:12; 10:17).

[9] The October 2021 FOCUS issue (“Reconciliation and Unity”, Vol. 9(4)) explores issues related to Reconciliation and Unity (https://www.scribd.com/document/527089219/FOCUSOctober-2021)

10] Ekklesia (alternate spelling, ecclesia) is a Greek word defined as “a called-out assembly or congregation”, translated as “church” in the New Testament (Acts 11:26, 1 Corinthians 15:9).

[11] The New Testament has over 50 “One-Another” passages that address behaviors and attitudes. Many of the “OneAnother” commands refer to Church Unity.

[12] However, a contentious topic in the Early Church was the reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles through Christ, elucidated in Paul’s epistle to Ephesians (Ephesians 2: 11-22). Paul argued persuasively that, Jesus had created a new humanity from Gentiles and Jews—reconciling them to God through the cross—with ready access to God. Therefore, both the Gentiles and Jews became fellow citizens—as God’s people and members of the same household—with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone. In his letter to Galatians, Apostle Paul identified himself as the Apostle to the Gentiles, in contrast to Peter as the Apostle to the Jews (Galatians 2: 7-8).

[13] “A Community Called Atonement”, Scot McKnight, August 2007, Abingdon Press.

[14] The August 2021 IPCC Assessment Report (https://www.ipcc.ch/2021/08/09/ar6-wg1-20210809-pr/) found that unless there are immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in GHG emissions, limiting warming to close to 1.5°C or even 2°C will be beyond reach. Likewise, the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s October 2021 flagship report, “World Energy Outlook 2021” (https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energyoutlook-2021) warns that the transition away from coal, oil and natural gas isn’t happening fast enough to avoid dangerous levels of global warming. IEA noted that extreme volatility in

energy markets present a continued risk, unless investment in clean power is tripled in the next decade.

[15] The January 2022 FOCUS issue (“Sustainability of nature and the Mission of the Church”, Vol. 10(1)), discusses issues related to Climate Change (https://issuu.com/diasporafocus/docs/focus_january_edit_2022 )

[16] SDGs are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015—which provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future (https://sdgs.un.org/goals). There are 17 SDGs, which signify an urgent call for action by all countries, focused on ending poverty [17] https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/climatechange/overview#1

[18] Climate change mitigation consists of actions to limit global warming and its related effects. This involves reductions in human emissions of GHGs as well as activities that reduce their concentration in the atmosphere. Fossil fuel combustion accounts for 89% of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and 68% of all GHG emissions. The most important challenge is to eliminate the use of coal, oil, and gas and substitute them with clean energy sources. Mitigation of climate change may also be achieved by changes in agriculture, transport, forestmanagement (reforestation and preservation), waste management, buildings, and industrial systems. Methane emissions, which have a high short-term impact, can be targeted by reductions in cattle and meat consumption.

[19] Adaptation refers to adjustments in ecological, social, or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli and their effects or impacts. It refers to changes in processes, practices, and structures to moderate potential damages or to benefit from opportunities associated with climate change. Therefore, countries and communities need to develop adaptation solutions and implement actions to respond to the impacts of climate change that are already happening, as well as prepare for future impacts.

[20] It may be noted that, environmental sustainability is broader than Climate Change. Challenges related to toxic contamination of land, ecosystem destruction, air pollution and water pollution are types of environmental degradation must be addressed.

[21] A June 2017 paper in the Journal, Science, found that climate change in the United Sates will cause the most economic harm in the poorest counties, many of which are home to mostly people of color (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aal4369).

[22] In an October 2021 essay for the Atlantic, Ed Yong has written persuasively regarding the evolution of the field of public health, from its focus on social conditions—like dilapidated neighborhoods, crowded housing, unsafe working conditions, poor sanitation—to the individual as the key determinant of health and well-being (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/10/howpublic-health-took-part-its-own-downfall/620457/). Public health has moved away from the idea that social reforms were a necessary part of preventing disease, drowning out many of the qualities that made it effective.

[23] This sentiment was expressed in a May 2021 statement by a group of global faith leaders, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, making the case that an equitable vaccine distribution is a humanitarian imperative (https://www.unhcr.org/enus/news/press/2021/5/60a7fc9b4/statement-no-one-safe-safeneed-global-response-covid-19.).