The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, ended on 12 November. This historic meeting was touted to be the world’s “last best chance” to reduce carbon emissions and commit to a socially just plan for adaptation. Such a decisive summit merits close attention, and the focus of the world’s faith communities cannot be limited to advocacy alone. We must also prepare ourselves to discern a communal response to this important moment in history, a response that will at once be faithful to the ongoing work of God in the world and capable of seeing new things in the midst of the old. In this spirit, we will gather faith leaders and people of all faiths and none for a Global Examen (review) on Tuesday, 14th December 2021 to begin this communal discernment. Inspiring speakers will tell the story of their experience of God at COP26, whether they attended in person or remotely. The focus will not so much be on the concrete circumstances of what happened, as important as that is, but will rather be on the speaker’s interior experience. Guiding questions will include among others:
- Where and how was God present to you during COP26?
- What inspires the most gratitude in you as you look back on your experience of COP26?
- Where did you feel most in touch with God, most loving, and/or most hopeful (consolation)?
- Where did you feel most fearful, tempted to despair, and/or focused on yourself to the exclusion of others (desolation)?
- What kind of reform did you recognise God calling humanity to as you followed the COP26 conversation?
What should nations look forward to in imagining a better life for all in our Common Home?
