Gathered by the land, APC celebrates the Season of Creation

The APC community came together the first week of September, the beginning of the Season of Creation, not just to pray but to truly pause and remember how deeply our lives are tied to the land.

People trickled into the gathering space with students still brushing off morning dust from their slippers, teachers carrying the calmness of the forest in their voices, and parents settling in with quiet anticipation. There was no rush. Instead, there was a shared sense of being drawn together by something bigger than all of us.

The Season of Creation guide says “we are all members of a vast and profoundly interdependent Web of Life, the precious gift of God.” This idea felt especially alive that morning as everyone found their place in the circle with the children in front, the elders close by, and teachers at the heart of the group.

Then came the children’s performance and their storytelling was simple with no props and no big stage. They showed how trees, water, people, and all living things are connected, how care for one is care for all. Watching them, many smiled with pride; others quietly reflected on what the Season of Creation reminds us that “everything is connected.”

Later, some teachers shared how the celebration nudged something inside them. One said, “Sometimes we forget our responsibility to creation. This event reminded us to love and care for it.” Their words resonated with another reflection from the Season of Creation guide, which speaks of a spirituality that “sparks amazement, grows in consciousness… and matures into love and gratitude for Creation.”

Throughout the day, the theme Peace with Creation unfolded in small, heartfelt ways. A child picking up fallen leaves without being asked. Parents lingering in conversation about the forest. Students pointing to birds overhead. The guide warns that many human actions have become a “war against Creation,” yet the APC community finds hope in the simple gestures of care and awareness.

By the time the celebration ended, the atmosphere shifted as people stayed a little longer, teachers talked with renewed energy, and children laughed and ran across the school grounds.

For APC, the Season of Creation celebration is a reminder of who the community is and what it values – living with and learning from the land, protecting it and passing on to the next generation the deep respect, gratitude, and guardianship that the Pulangiyēn people carry.