Seven Weeks for Water 2025: Bible study - Week 3

Seven Weeks for Water 2025, week 3: "Symbiotic Guardianship: The Bond Between Humans and the Achachilas" The third reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2025 series of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network is written by Jocabed Reina Solano Miselis, a daughter of the Gunadule nation in Panama. Being an Indigenous activist, she juxtaposes the Indigenous spirituality and their integral connection with the nature, the “Achachilas”  with the insatiable desire of humans to exploit the nature for its resources, driven by capitalism. She introduces us to the Indigenous belief system which is based on the reciprocity of mother earth and human beings, caring for each other.  Photo: Valter Hugo Muniz 17 March 2025 By Jocabed Reina Solano Miselis* Text : Joel 1:4 ; 2:25  What the locust swarm has left     the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left     the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left     other locusts have eaten. I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—     the great locust and the young locust,     the other locusts and the locust swarm — my great army that I sent among you. Reflection The book of Joel, in verses 1:4 and 2:25, offers a powerful reflection of the devastating ecological consequences of military invasion. The metaphor of a plague of locusts as an invading army reflects the capacity of war to devastate ecosystems, evidencing the impact on the subsistence of communities. This context resonates with the acute environmental challenges facing Indigenous peoples today, who are often the first to suffer the ravages of the exploitation of their bounties, but which they usually call “resources.” In a capitalist world, these bounties are seen as resources as commodities, in contrast to the Indigenous worldview that recognizes them as gifts from the Earth. The fall of the foreign tyrant celebrated in texts such as Joel connects us to contemporary struggles for social and environmental justice. The denunciation of the exploitation of the Earth and of people reflects the aspirations of those who suffer the consequences of imperialism and colonization, who also wish to witness the fall of their oppressors. The hope for a better future keeps the flame alive in the hearts of those who strive to build a more equitable world. A few years ago I visited Bolivia, and I went to the Kira community in Alto de la Paz. One of the most moving encounters I had was seeing the imposing Illimani, which in the Aymara language has several etymological meanings, among them Great Falcon, Great Ancestor, Great Protector. This evokes in us the sacredness of this mountain. And while I ask my sister Juana Condori Quispe, a dear friend of many years, what her people think about Illimani, she very kindly tells me the feelings and thoughts of her people: ¨All Aymara legends are associated with mountains, in the images they are all covered with ice and snow. In all the legends they are always the place where the sacred is protected. For the Aymara they are our apus or Achachilas, "ancestors, grandparents. The spirits and souls go to the mountains and then return on the feast of All Saints.¨ And should this not be our feeling as humanity, as followers of Jesus? That the Earth is our ancestor, teacher, greatest theologian, since before we humans existed there were already mountains, the apus as Juana says, the Yala as the Gunadule nation says. She continues telling me about the Aymaralegends, which in their images always show glaciers covering the peaks; they are witnesses of time and of life itself. But today, those glaciers are in danger, and with them, the sacred connection they have with their people and not only the Aymaras, but all living beings. Including the Gunadules and non-human brothers and sisters with whom we cohabit the territory, since the sea level affects our lands. Last year, we had the first displaced island (Carti Sugdub) in the Gunadule Caribbean, due to climate change. This is how Indigenous peoples say, all relationships are important. When I hear the song of the grandfather and grandmother in the Gunadule community, while they give us advice on how to live in a harmonious relationship with the earth, I feel the strength, the hope and the yearning for a full life for all creation, including human beings. I cannot help but feel the sadness of the loss of the glaciers, since it is also a loss of memory, of identity for the Indigenous peoples who live near the glaciers; if not also for Indigenous peoples throughout the world. Juana reminded me that taking care of these glaciers is taking care of our roots, of our culture. "The glaciers are the attire, the sacred poncho of our mountains," she told me, sadly. These words resonated in my heart. I remember once again what my grandmothers say: that the mountains not only provide water, but are a symbol of life, of struggle, of hope. The wisdom of Indigenous peoples, like that of the Gunadule, enriches our search for solutions to the climate crisis. Sustainable practices like the Nainusystem, which promotes crop diversification, strengthen our bond with the Earth and act as shields against extreme weather events. This approach allows our communities to be resilient, preserving biodiversity and honouring the deep connection we have with every corner of our home. The traditions of Indigenous peoples offer an invaluable legacy that we must recognise and value. In West Africa and in Aboriginal communities in Australia, we find traditional methods that are not only effective, but also demonstrate respect and interdependence between all living beings. The climate crisis requires us to act together, inspired by the rich heritage of our peoples. As I look at the Illimani Mountain, laden with sadness but also with hope, I am reminded that all relationships matter. The connection we share, the umbilical cord that unites us, is an urgent call to care for our Earth. As I listen to Juana and reflect on our shared visions, but also shared with the prophet Joel in the midst of the devastations caused by wars, and currently of the glaciers even though I know we are in difficult times, there is an unbreakable force in our union, in our stories and in our love for the Earth, in our spirituality, in faith in Jesus. The need to recognize and value this indigenous knowledge is not only an ethical imperative, it is essential for the well-being of our planet and future generations. The heritage of our peoples teaches us that caring for the Earth is caring for ourselves. Despite this, we experience exclusion in many spaces; in many countries the states do not recognize Indigenous peoples, much less their practices, despite there being very concrete evidence, when we know that 80% of biodiversity is sustained by Indigenous peoples. In many scientific investigations data, studies, analyses are taken from communities and they are not given credit, creating new forms of colonialism, such as green and blue colonialism among others. Questions: What is God's call to us during this Lent in the face of the systems of death and injustice that indigenous peoples experience today? What is our ethic of life as followers of Jesus in the face of the threat that glaciers face? I therefore call upon the church and all those in positions of influence: it is imperative that we all come to the table, in a spirit of collaboration and respect. The interdependence of our communities and the natural environment teaches that we are connected by a common thread, and the decisions we make impact everyone. By incorporating the voices of Indigenous peoples, especially in the search for climate solutions, we all benefit. The urgency to honor and value our collective knowledge is a call that we cannot ignore. A place at the table must be a space where we all have a voice, a space where spirituality, wisdom, and action can come together. By taking care of the glaciers, we take care of our memory, our life, and a hopeful future for the next generations. Together, let us face the climate crisis, building a more just and equitable future for all, where every heart and every voice counts. And as the Gunadules and the Aymaras say, if the sacred mountains are our grandparents, they are dressed in different colors, they are dressed in the ancestral mola, say my Gunadule grandmothers, that is, dressed in the diversity of plants, flowers, ice, and snow that exist in Abya Yala. So that the glaciers continue to be dressed in their white poncho, beautifying and feeding our lands; we need Indigenous peoples to be cultivating, harvesting, preparing, and eating at the table. Action: Investigate how melting glaciers affect the planet Advocate to cut CO2 emissions by 45% in the next decade and to zero after 2050 in order to curb global warming. Spirit of Life, we ask that our daily and community practices be sensitive, recognizing the deep connection between the climate crisis and the exclusion of indigenous peoples. Resources: https://climatepromise.undp.org/es/news-and-stories/los-knowledge-indigenas-son-cruciales-para-la-lucha-contra-el-cambio-climatico https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000392330_eng https://fundacioncarlosslim.org/ano-internacional-de-los-glaciares-2025-la-importancia-de-preservar-estas-importantes-reservas-de-agua/ * Jocabed Reina Solano Miselis, a daughter of the Gunadule nation in Panama is an indigenous activist.  She is currently part of the WCC Indigenous Peoples Reference Group, a Commissioner at the WCC Climate Justice and Sustainable Development (CCJSD) and a member of the Biodiversity Working Group of WCC. She also serves as Director of Memoria Indígena.  See more

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