宗博季刊第116期

29 so intrinsic to our Capitalist society, which systematically prevents so many from the pursuit of happiness. The cry of George Floyd: “Please, I cannot breathe!” is the cry that resounds among the demonstrators, and throughout the entire Earth. “Please, I cannot breathe!” It is the cry of the Earth itself. My skies, so beautiful and radiant, are hidden behind grey smog; my air, so life- giving and fresh, is polluted; my soil, so rich and fertile, is poisoned; my rivers, lakes and oceans, so life-giving and pure, are toxic; my forests, home to so many creatures, are destroyed, my ice-cover, so strong and timeless, is melting, my 4 seasons, so regular and sustaining, are thrown into chaos; my beloved children are dying from hunger, neglect, social injustice, inadequate health care, from violence. “Please, I cannot breathe!” Ecological destruction and climate change, of which the Corona epidemic is a symptom, is the major challenge of the 21st century. It needs to be addressed Now. Now, as the Corona Lockdown eases and policy makers have to rebuild shattered economies, do they listen to the cry “Please, I cannot breathe” and do what they can to promote a green, sustainable economy? Or do they continue to close their ears and eyes, claiming that nothing is wrong, that carbon taxes and green policies will harm jobs and economic growth? Will they, will we continue to wait until it is too late? How do we make our voices heard as people of faith? It starts from deeply listening to the cries of the Earth and trying to respond appropriately. If Corona has shown us how vulnerable all of us are, even though some of us so much more than others, it has also shown us how interconnected we are. And it has shown us that we can use social media to come together for worthy causes and inspiring meetings just like for example this one, without having to fly and contribute to the carbon footprint. The skies have cleared up in many places for the first time, due to the travel restrictions. That is a lesson in itself. What will we make of it? The corona crisis has also demonstrated that governments and people can come together in addressing an urgent crisis. Out of concern for the spread of the virus, governments have imposed isolation, quarantine and other measures that people mostly cooperated in following. How about important measures for climate change, for a sustainable ecology, for social reform and just health care systems? Can we come together for that as well? The Corona crisis also has brought home the lesson to us that we can slow down. Indigenous leaders have called the epidemic an opportunity to slow down and synchronize our rhythm with the rhythm of Mother Earth for healing. Why do we take the hectic life-styles and stress of modern societies as being normal? We can change to a more contemplative and healthy way of living if we really want to. The corona Crisis has also brought home to us more than ever the reality of death – which each one of us will have to face sooner or later. This is our shared reality, and the heightened awareness of it can help to inspire in all of us a greater appreciation for the preciousness and the infinite value of each life. To close, I just want to give you just two examples of faith based actions for the protection of the ecology. The first example is Jojo Mehta, Co-Founder and director of the campaign “Stop Ecocide,” who tirelessly works to make ecocide an international crime, since so far there is no baseline rule at the International court that forbids serious damage to nature. Such a law will give courts and police the power of prosecuting polluting industries and actors. It will also change our deeply entrenched mind-set of separation between humans and the natural world, and help us to discover and act on the truth that we are all part of an interconnected wider web of life. One is the project I am involved in myself through my teacher in Taiwan, Master Hsin Tao. After opening the Museum of World Religions in Taipei in the year 2001, right after 9/11, to promote understanding and respect of religions and cultures as well as love for all forms of life, he is now establishing the University for Life and Peace in Myanmar to provide a comprehensive, interreligious and interdisciplinary approach to mitigate climate change, based on spiritual Ecology and Love for the Earth. We hope that this educational approach will be an inspring example for our global community on how to come together in the aftermath of the Corona Crisis to digest its lessons and work towards Healing of the Earth. Thank you. 國際交流