Pakistan: People's resilience 'awe-inspiring' says Columban missionary

This evening, I celebrated a Christmas Mass in a village of 12 families. This is done in order that as many people and villages as possible can celebrate Christmas. Just a few months ago they had to abandon their homes and move to higher ground as their village was completely flooded. They are now back in their home places rebuilding their homes and their lives. Their resilience is awe inspiring and is a witness to the Incarnation, of the Word becoming flesh in the lives of people.

For Pakistan and its people, 2022 was dominated by extreme weather events. The country is on the frontline of the climate crisis. We see the affects before us each day. In April and May there an intense heat wave. Then from mid-June until the end of August there was heavy monsoon rains. So, a combination of the deadly heat wave causing glaciers to melt in the Himalayas mountains, and the heavy monsoon season caused the heaviest flooding ever recorded. We all witnessed the indescribable human suffering, the loss of precious lives and the destruction of crops, livestock, and infrastructure.

Many people and organisations, from wider society and from within the church, responded to the flood crisis by trying to help the flood victims. Some of the ways people were helped were through food rations, medical help and by providing basic shelter. The work continues and will for a long time. In the most difficult of circumstances, the best of humanity revealed itself. It is an example of faith being grounded in compassion for our fellow human beings. The situation is very serious but we should face it with hope and courage. The way we respond to this challenge will impact on how we live our lives, on how we can change ourselves so that we can create a better future for all.

"If we want to bring about deep change, we need to realise that certain mindsets really do influence our behaviour. Our efforts at education will be inadequate and ineffectual unless we strive to promote a new way of thinking about human beings, life, society and our relationship with nature."

Pope Francis: Laudato Si 2015

A sincere and profound thanks for all of you who donated to make flood relief work possible for so many people. It is an example of compassion and love in action.

Peace and Blessings for Christmas and for 2023.

Irish Columban Fr Tomás King has spent more than 25 years as a missionary in Pakistan.

LINK

Columbans - www.columbans.co.uk