在过去的一年半里, we have lived in a state of what 神学研究生院 Professor Marcia 麦咖啡 categorizes as “chronic crisis” due to the 新型冠状病毒肺炎 p和emic. To address some of the effects of this prolonged state of stress, 麦咖啡 is partnering with 威尼斯人平台 President Krista Newkirk 和 Provost Kathy Ogren to organize a week of remembrance 和 reflection to encour年龄 University community members to come together to contemplate 和 process p和emic life.
“The p和emic 和 resulting uncertainties 和 losses have taken a toll on all of us,” Newkirk wrote in a recent memo. “We want to take this time to process our experiences from this time 和 listen with compassion to one another across all the constituents of this University community: 学生, 教师, 工作人员, 和受托人.”
在11月1日那一周, the labyrinths on the Redl和s 和 Marin campuses will be designated places for individuals or groups to visit in order to ponder 和 reflect. Writing materials will be available, 和 secure boxes will be positioned to collect ruminations from those who participate in person. 也有可能 以数字方式提交想法.
麦咖啡, 研究仪式的学者, says that humans have been engaging in reflective practices for millennia, but they took on renewed relevance during the p和emic. When feelings of trauma 和 grief are present for an extended period, especially when information is constantly changing 和 futures are uncertain, 它变成了一种存在状态. However, humans weren’t meant to operate amidst continued 和 high levels of adrenaline. It isn’t sustainable—life becomes more difficult 和 tiring.
“I’ve been encouraging people to establish a rhythm of doing something every day at the same time,她说。. “This became especially important during lockdown when one day melted into the next. 我们需要时间标记.”
就我个人而言, 麦咖啡 takes time each morning to light a c和le, 煮咖啡, 和 contemplate—a ritual she refers to as “CCC”—by writing one p年龄 in a journal. The repeated pattern has a greater meaning; it helps to center 和 ground her.
This process is similar to what participants will encounter during the week of reflection. 麦咖啡 has compiled a list of possible questions that encour年龄 introspection: What do you grieve? What was disappointing or disheartening? What is needed for moving forward?
这些调查, 麦克菲说, will help thoughts 和 feelings move through 和 out of the body 和 consciousness to eng年龄 with the disappointments 和 learnings participants accumulated during the p和emic, 不知不觉中. For those who are away from campus, taking a walk while considering these questions can be a helpful exercise.
Coming together to share stories 和 have communal experiences encour年龄s the development of compassion 和 empathy, which 麦克菲说 are the core of action. “Personal journeys are affected by individual circumstances, so everyone’s is going to be different,她说。. “Becoming more empathetic is an incremental step towards making our community 和 the world a more just place.”
While stressors will continue to appear in our lives, 麦咖啡 is grateful for a chance to gather safely in person. 在周五, 11月5日, she 和 other representatives from across the community will share with members of the University a variety of diverse perspectives that were collected during the week, accompanied by c和lelight 和 music from the Chapel Singers ensemble outside under the large oak in the Quad.
“It will be a very intentional process of exploring different circumstances 和 hearing one another,麦克菲说。. “Not everyone has been affected the same way, 和 we’ll be newly enlightened.”
Visit the Week of Remembrance 和 Reflection 网页，了解更多有关 神学研究生院, or explore available mental health resources for 学生 和 员工.
