by Emma Nobbe, ’24

On Wednesday, March 29, the Center for Faith and Vocation hosted its final event for A New View Film Series. Through the documentary The Magnitude of All Things, audiences were emersed in a moment of reflection, mourning, and acceptance regarding an environment that is slowly dying around us. Jennifer Abbott uses this film to connect the idea of eco grief to the loss of her sister, who died of cancer. Throughout the film, it is hard to witness some of the devastating effects climate change has brought to our environment on a global scale, and when paired with the journey Abbott experienced in mourning and acceptance of her sister’s battle and ultimate loss from cancer, audiences are presented with the harsh reality that we will lose some parts of our world. However, while there is a deep sense of sadness connected to this reality of loss, there is also a message of perseverance and dedication to use this reality as a reason to continue fighting for the future of our environment.

After the film, a community leader of the Quaker faith and an expert in ecology led a discussion surrounding themes of eco-grief, interdependence, and agency that leaned into the topics of extinction and the reality that the actions of individuals and community members will ultimately effect climate change on a global level. Ending the night on a more positive note, audience members had the chance to share their messages of hope when faced with the idea of eco-grief, detailing their experiences of nature and the hope that they still had to fight for what is left of our environment and what could grow in the future.