What does our faith demand of us during trying times

Jun 14, 2020

By Jaclyn Sharmelee
Community Action Network’s fourth Online Series of Latte with Jesus featured Fr Joseph Stephen CSsR from the Church of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Ipoh, and Pastor Daniel Ho, Founding director of Methodist Church, Damansara, KL, discussing issues on Justice During Trying Times and the Demands of our Faith during This Pandemic.

Moderator Lena Hendry reflected on the economy of our country coming to a halt over the last couple of months due to the COVID-19 pandemic and stressed how it has impacted the global supply chain and the threat of recession and unemployment increasing, especially among the B40 group; namely migrant workers, refugees and daily wage earners. What is our faith response to the realities of our world today?

Fr Joe began the session by touching on his own experiences in relief work. “We see it, we experience it and we’re bothered by it. What is the Church telling us and what is our faith response? Economic Justice is when the resources of a country are equally distributed among all levels  of society without leaving any particular group behind. When this does not take place, do we get agitated? Should God be absent just because the churches are closed during this pandemic?

“One of the programmes that I have personally taken up, with the assistance of generous donors, is a feeding programme. This exposure has opened the eyes of many of the volunteers to the realities of the poor in our country. Many still live in poverty, not because they are lazy,  not because of misfortune or lack of ignorance but due to the many political and economic policies that do not favour them”. He stressed the awareness that comes from works of relief that nudge us to not be complacent but to actively respond by engaging with politicians, NGO’s and society at large, since only then can we be agents of change. “This is not only the work of the Church but of men and women of goodwill, who are striving for a just society.”

Pastor Daniel Ho, who was not in  favour of the extended MCO, stated that “The MCO posed many social and mental problems that are escalating due to loneliness, depression and anxiety of what the future holds, and this has caused daily wage earners to suffer; to put a meal on the table and pay rent.” He outlined a few points on how we, as Christians, should respond to this pandemic: Find a vehicle to implement economic justice for all by learning to save as much as we can, to be a blessing to others, set up business consulting groups to connect with employers and help others who have lost their jobs, offer skills training; to help them learn a new skill.” “We need to engage with people and be witnesses to Christ in our daily life through simple acts of kindness.”

There were many eye-opening questions from the public that enlivened the discussion and provided much food for thought; on simple and effective ways to put our faith in action.

Fr Joe reiterated that “we do not only do this because of the pandemic but because it is the right thing to do.”

A question was posed by the  public on whether the solutions discussed are technocratic solutions or societal changes? To which both speakers agreed that any change starts with us.

Another interesting question that was brought up was “Why God didn’t prepare his people for this pandemic?” Pastor Daniel was quick to reply “the Bible always asks us to be vigilant, watchful and prayerful. The pandemic is not a punishment but a wake-up call, inviting us to use our resources well and reorder our life and be fruitful”.

Fr Joe also stressed the many encyclicals written by our Holy Father on issues of Economic Justice, but said “nothing much can be done unless the community heeds the call, and only then can the Church evolve from just a building to an agent of change”. He also reminded listeners “to never underestimate how a small group can make a ripple of change. Instead of always asking what can the Church do, ask what can I do to administer change.”

View more on this topic and other Latte with Jesus forums at:  https:// www.facebook.com/CANMalaysia