Embracing the creation process: The Soul’s Journey to COP30

This is not merely a report or an informative narrative on my participation in COP30, focusing on ecumenical family activities; I feel this is more like a psalm—song and dance—of reconnecting, sang and danced by one who has listened closely to the earth and the whispers of the marginalised. I am Paulo Ueti, a wanderer by spirit and calling, a son of a mixed Latin American heritage, a heart beating within the church and for the forest and its biodiversity. This experience made me the Bible Scholar and Theologian I am today. It forged my path in a way I did not plan and gave me joy and a family I never had.

My soul was first woven into the living, breathing tapestry of the Amazon forest as a boy, a sacred space where my faith took root and bloomed alongside the ancient communities who are its keepers. Earth, my body; water, my soul; air, my breath; and fire, my spirit: this is something I sang so many times when I was attending youth groups back in the day.

That profound immersion—in the deep woods, with the indigenous communities, peasants, and quilombolas who are the traditional guardians of the land and waters—forged my life’s path, leading me to become a theologian and an activist. I was supposed to be a hard scientist—a nuclear physicist. It has been a journey graced by a God who is as gracious as the flowing river, as prophetic as the thunder, and as kind as the first light of dawn. Now, I serve within the global heartbeat of the Anglican Communion, working with the Anglican Communion Office, the Anglican Alliance and USPG, driven by a fierce passion to share gifts, talents, and theologies that bring life, transformation and creativity. God is an artist.

The Stirring in the Soul: Belém Beckons

Looking toward Belém, Brazil, and the upcoming COP30, I feel a clear sense of a sacrament – an anticipation – that is, but is not yet entirely, is. It is a joy—a sense of being drawn into a destiny larger than my own shadow. This conference is no cold negotiation; it is a vibrant, burning tapestry where threads of human struggle and unyielding hope, and the creation’s struggle, are tightly interwoven. It is the cry of global communities yearning, striving, and working for the soil of acknowledgement, reparation and justice. With every step toward this essential moment (and I walk not alone), I was called and said yes to embrace three sacred intentions: Be present, Be curious and Reimagine. All three habits and principles built contexts where life exists unthreatened, where all can live in harmony and care for each other.

Be Present: A Sacred Listening

To be present is to open the mind, body, and heart’s door to the symphony that can be heard, admired, and transformed when you visit Amazonia. The air will be filled not just with human speech, but with the ancient, threatened voices of the environment itself. I accepted a long time ago the invitation to step into the resilience stories of the Indigenous peoples, the Black traditional communities, and all those who know the sharp sting of injustice.

I will be there as a brother to nature and fellow humans, ready for the shared undisputable alchemy (theology) of learning and unlearning together. I am there to let their narratives occupy my spirit, to share my own, to feel the very pulse of their experience, and to honour the sacred ground that needs to be seen (I see you…) and to be protected.

I am ready to continue to hear the echoes of ancestors in the gentle Amazon breeze, in the tireless flow of the river—a call for justice, recognition, reparation, and respect.

This call is to be lived and shared during the ‘tapiri’: the fragile tents that shelter those seeking harmony with the Mother Earth (Pacha Mama) and the Ocean (Moana). They are the tender, yet profound, bonds we share with the natural world. My presence, joining a huge ecumenical family and allies from other faiths and none at COP30, is an act of solidarity, a promise to amplify the voices that have too long been consigned to silence.

Be Curious: The Quest for Deep Water

To approach this moment is to become like a bold child in the Kingdom—naturally curious and courageously honest. Curiosity is the disruptive flame that disturbs and lights the mind and soul, urging us to go deeper in our shared humanity and our interconnectedness with the earth and its waters. I travel filled with questions that desire the nourishment of dialogue. How can communities of faith stand as midwives of resurrection and justice, tending life amidst the shadows of fundamentalism? What ancient wisdom, long hushed by the winds of time, is now rising to face the scars caused by corruption, negligence, greed, climate change and social inequality?

I see conversations happening, transcending mere words, more like a dance of ideas. I’m looking forward to being there and to hearing the stories of communities that find themselves at the intersection of faith and ecology, intertwining their spiritual beliefs with the vibrant tapestry of environmental activism.

Reimagine: togetherness for a fully present and fully Future of Life

To reimagine is to dream, and when we dream together, they come true —with a sculptor’s boldness. A poet in Brazil sang that “a dream dreamed alone is illusion, but when we dream together, it can be a sign of solution. At COP30, I am inspired to see the Anglican Communion as a dynamic, living agent of change. This community looks squarely at its past and, with an active heart and bold advocacy, strives for reconciliation and true representation. I envision us collaborating with people of all faiths and those of no faith, under the vast, sheltering sky of shared purpose.

I dream of our churches becoming true sanctuaries of hope and refuge, where we speak a prophetic No to all forms of necro-politics (the politics of death) and where the voices of Indigenous peoples, Black traditional communities, and especially women, children, and Nature, are woven into the very hymns and missions of our worship. Together, we work for restorative justice, honouring the historical wrongs and complicities that have shaped our tradition as Christians, and as Anglicans, towards the environment and traditional communities. Our journey is a quest for healing the wounds that lie beneath the surface, seeking to mend the very fabric of our shared humanity.

A Call to the Communion: Step into the Current

To my beloved Christian family, I share an invitation: Let’s not just stand by and watch the unfolding drama of our times; let’s dive in and be part of the story of transformation.

Our words hold the power to shape reality and open hearts. Together, we can become co-creators of a world where justice, dialogue, and representation truly thrive. We are bound by the belief in one God, the almighty Father, maker of heaven and earth, of all things seen and unseen.

In this moment of deep reflection, I ask each of you: How will you embody the spirit of presence, curiosity, and reimagining your role in the tireless work of justice and reconciliation?

Let us engage with the wisdom of territories, rivers, and oceans, drawing on the deep knowledge of forests and deserts, and embracing our differences while celebrating our shared commitment to building a just and equitable world.

We are ambassadors of justice and reconciliation, echo chambers for cries for justice and reparation, sacred spaces for connection and healing. Are your communities following these paths?

I eagerly look forward to sharing the experiences of this transformative journey. May we all be inspired to act with urgency, to listen with humility, and to love fiercely as we strive for a future where justice is a reality for all, not a distant dream.

Dr Paulo Ueti: 

Paulo’s journey in faith began at 13, leading him to pursue his passion for theology and the Bible, notably through his involvement with Contextual Bible Studies and the Landless Peoples Movement in Brazil. A theologian and New Testament biblical scholar who works as the theological advisor and regional manager for Latin America and the Caribbean for the USPG and Latin America for the Anglican Alliance. He also advises the Episcopal Ministry Department of the Anglican Communion.