Compelling Story God is Telling the World Today

An Opinion on 54^th World Communications Day Message of Pope Francis by Social Communications Commission of Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

To mark the celebration of the 54^th World Communications Day on May 24, 2020, the 7^th Easter Sunday, Pope Francis says that the world today needs a human story, a narrative that can bind everyone into a living tapestry that speaks of our common roots, strength and beauty. I find his WCD Message this year to be most compelling and very relevant to the situation that we are currently experiencing.

This year, His Holy Father has chosen a verse from Chapter 10 of the Book of Exodus that says, “That you may tell your children and grandchildren”, as the theme for his message. He adds, “Life becomes history.” How very appropriate! History is dead without life; without life there’s no history. Where else can we find the roots and strength that truly binds the human race together other than in the family? How else can we bind ourselves with our children and grandchildren if we do not keep in mind where we came from, our ancestral roots on which we discover the real threads that are neatly and tightly interwoven into the life that we have today?

Indeed we shall have a story to tell to our children and grandchildren in years to come. We shall tell how we are able to overcome the plague that has besieged us, a plague not by locusts, as this chapter of Exodus relates, but a modern plague known as Covid-19. In years to come, we too like the decendants of Moses and Aaron, have a compelling story to tell of how God has delivered us from the pangs of death and the countless pains and sufferings that this Coronavirus has imposed on our people.

We too can recount the wonderful deeds of the Lord who from one generation to the next has never failed to save and protect his people. As Pope Francis exhorts in his WCD message, each one of us shall tell our stories, stories that have left a mark on our life. True enough, these shall be stories that can make our children and grandchildren understand who we are and where we came from. We shall take it as a holy duty to communicate these stories to our younger generations in due time.

May God help us to be good story tellers, giving Him thanks and praise at all times.

JOSEPH LEONG

for and on behalf of

Social Communications Commission (SOCCOM)

Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

Sabah, Malaysia 18^th May 2020

IN CONJUNCTION WITH 54TH WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY READ ALSO THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES:

• Pope’s Message for World Day of Social Communications 2020
• Be extra vigilant in using social media,” says Archbishop Wong in WCD message
• Archbishop Wong’s Message In Conjunction With 54th World Communications Day
• Fr. Nicholas Stephen on the Power of Media
• Fr. Nicholas Stephen Mengenai Kuasa Media
• World Communications Day 2020: Becoming “God’s Microphone”
• Hari Komunikasi Sedunia 2020: Menjadi ‘Mikrofon’ Tuhan
• Pope: no to false, destructive stories, tell the good that unites