LOCAL 4 NEWS AT 5:30 STARTS NOW.
>> Kimberly: FAITH AND THE
PANDEMIC.
LOCAL RELIGIOUS LEADERS ARE
OPENING UP HOW THE PAST YEAR HAS
IMPACTED BELIEFS IN THE
COMMUNITY.
PLACES OF WORSHIP WERE CLOSED
FOR MONTHS, LEAVING A LOT OF
PEOPLE OUT OF TOUCH WITH A KEY
PART OF LIFE.
>> Devin: PANDEMIC HAS LED TO
SOME VERY SCARY QUESTIONS FOR
THE FAITHFUL.
PAULA TUTMAN SAT DOWN WITH
RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND TALKED
ABOUT THE QUESTIONS HEAD-ON.
>> EVERY 17 YEARS, A CICADA
BURSTS FROM ITS SLUMBER AND
SWARMS.
AND WHEN YOU PUT THAT TOGETHER
IN A YEAR WE’RE BATTLING CLIMATE
CHANGE AND PAIN AND HUNGER AND
CERTAINLY A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, IT
CERTAINLY LEAVES A LOT OF PEOPLE
SCANNING THE HORIZON FOR FOUR
HORSEMEN AND WONDERING WHETHER
OR NOT WE’RE ENTERING A BIBLICAL
APOCALYPSE.
>> CORRUPTION HAS SPREAD ON LAND
AND SEA.
WHAT IS HAPPENING ON LAND?
IN THIS--
I MEAN, WE CAN GO ON AND ON AND
ON.
>> WE TURNED TO A ROUND TABLE OF
RELIGIOUS LEADERS FOR ANSWERS, A BAPTIST MINISTER, EPISCOPALIAN
BAPTIST MINISTER, EPISCOPALIAN
BISHOP, AN ISLAMIC IMAM AND
SOCIAL ACTIVIST.
THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL AND
REHABY.
>> AND I AGREE THAT INJUSTICE IS
RIFE AND I THINK THAT THE COVID
HAS REVEALED THE FLAWEDNESS OF
HUMANITY.
MY SENSE IS THAT THIS IS A
CALLING FOR US TO BE OUR VERY
BEST SELF.
>> IN THE BIBLE, IT’S THE BOOK
OF REVELATION, IN ISLAM, THE END
OF THE WORLD IS REFERRED TO AS
THE HOUR.
IN HINDUISM.
>> AND UNTIL MANKIND DECIDES
WE’RE GOING TO DO SOME THINGS
DIFFERENTLY, WE CAN HAVE A
VACCINE THAT WILL APPEAR TO BE
CHANGING THE TIDE, BUT UNTIL
SOME OTHER THINGS ARE FIXED, I
THINK WE’RE GOING TO STAY HERE.
>> MOST CATHOLICS WOULD SAY IS
THE EXPECTATION OF GOD, THE
EXPECTATION THAT WE LIVE WITH
ONE ANOTHER IN A COMMUNITY THAT
HELPS ONE ANOTHER, THAT CARES
FOR ONE ANOTHER AND THAT IT’S --
IT WAS IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS THAT
WE HAD LOST THAT SENSE THAT WE
WERE--
THAT WE SHOULD BE CARING FOR ONE
ANOTHER AND WE’RE PAYING A PRICE
FOR IT.
IT WAS HARD THIS PAST WEEK TO
SIT AT MY SEDER TABLE AT
PASSOVER AND NOT MAKE A CONNECTION TO THE ANCIENT
CONNECTION TO THE ANCIENT PLAGUES THAT BEFELL THE EGYPTIAN
PLAGUES THAT BEFELL THE EGYPTIAN
PEOPLE AND PHA RAO, AND I THINK
THAT THE PLAGUES WE’RE SEEING
HAVE TO BE SEEN IN CONTEXT WITH
THE CHALLENGES OF THE DAY AND
NOT JUST HEALTH CHALLENGES OF
THE PANDEMIC, TALKING RACIAL
CHALLENGES, GENDER CHALLENGES,
THE DEMONS THAT WE ARE FACING IN
OUR SOCIETY AND MAYBE IN SOME
WAY, THESE MODERN PLAGUES ARE A
CHANCE FOR US TO HAVE A
RECKONING AND TO REALIGN
OURSELVES WITH WHAT REALLY
MATTER.
>> AND WHEN WE THINK OF THE SHIP
THAT FERRIES US THROUGH THE STORM, PERHAPS THERE WILL BE
STORM, PERHAPS THERE WILL BE
COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT CICADAS
ARE NOT ACTUALLY LOCUSTS AND CAN
BE OFF THE CHECKLIST FOR THE
ARMAGEDDON RECKONING.
>> AND TO SCREW UP EVERYTHING,
WE’RE ALREADY IN A PANDEMIC AND
WE NEED NOT KNOW CAUSE
CONFUSION.
>> I WANT TO FAST FORWARD TO 10
YEARS FROM NOW, WHAT DID I DO,
WHAT DID YOU DO, THAT MOVED OUR
HUMANITY FORWARD.
AND ARE WE BETTER FOR IT?
AND IF THE ANSWER IS YES, THEN
WE HAVE LEARNED LESSONS.
IF THE ANSWER IS NO, THEN WE
HAVE A LOT OF ROOM LEFT TO GROW.
>> Devin: BY THE WAY, THIS
GROUP, PARTICULAR GROUP OF FAITH
LEADERS DOESN’T JUST GET
TOGETHER FOR THE MINI
ROUNDTABLES WE PUT TOGETHER.
THEY’RE AN ESTABLISHED
INTERFAITH GROUP AND THEY MEET