Our Common World

The depth and resonance of the Pope’s encyclical reminded me of a conversation I had with Regina, chair-woman of the Mapusha Weavers, about the way things were in her community during the Apartheid years. She said it was better in some ways because they had enough rain back then. They didn’t have money but they didn’t need money, they could feed themselves from the land. She wondered why, now, it is rare to have a rainy season with enough rain to bring their corn to harvest. 

What I remember most is the confused look in her eyes at the conclusion of my long winded explanation about carbon dioxide and rich countries eating oil.  I most certainly throw my hat in with the 97% of scientists who say global warming is real and our actions play a significant role in the process but I was speaking with a woman who walks everywhere she goes and prefers to cook over an open fire. Regina is a thinker, she likes to ponder things, consider them from various angles but what I was saying just didn’t make sense.   Our conversation impacted me more for it became a vivid, in-my -face view of our global connection, our common world. As Pope Francis points out, the actions of the rich countries do impact the lives of the poor. Regina can no longer feed her family from her gardens. 

Most of the women of Mapusha are devout Catholic and I know they have  heard about the Pope’s encyclical. I wonder if Regina remembers our talk back in January? My guess is she will focus on the way her Pope emphasized our moral obligation to be better stewards of the earth. She will increase her efforts in whatever way she can. I am the one who will remember the shriveled corn on the browned stalks in Regina’s garden and cringe as I drive my car to the grocery store.