I know I say it so often, but all our brokenness in the world is due to broken relationship and humanity’s failure to live in relationship with God, with one another and all creation. Yet, when it comes to the ugly brokenness of so many situations across our world, there is also a beauty in so many people choosing to give of themselves to share in the work of restoration. Whether it’s people getting involved with NGOs, mission agencies or charities; or whether it’s about giving in prayer, or financially, there is something hopeful and life-affirming amid the despair and destruction of our world, and often in places and ways which never make the headlines.
Last week I read a chilling report from Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in their commitment to bring healing and change amid the horrific and endemic sexual violence in Sudan. The next day I read the painful yet uplifting newsletter from The Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre, which works with children, families and caregivers, focused on children with a range of disabilities. Outreach visits have continued to marginalised communities in the West Bank, and multidisciplinary teams have continued to support children and their families in Gaza amid the most challenging and heartbreaking situations. Today I have been looking at the most recent work of Christian Aid and I read Fridah’s story: Growing hope in a small city space | Christian Aid Week
In all these stories there is nothing transactional about the engagement of aid workers or medical staff or therapists, and there is no sense of an ethos of doing things ‘to’ people. Rather, I am struck by poignant encounters which seem to offer a space for transformation for all involved, and there appears to be a mutual receiving as relationship is entered into with people, even amid pain, trauma and grief.
Next week is Christian Aid Week. As many people will know, Christian Aid is not just one of many relief and development agencies but is the official relief, development and advocacy agency of a number of sponsoring Churches including the Church of England.
Whilst I’m often dubious about days or weeks set aside for a particular focus, as the implication can be that we only need to engage with the issues for one day or one week, I do hope that Christian Aid Week might provide an impetus not only for us to give generously, but also to see our giving as so much more than a financial transaction. This week is an opportunity to open ourselves more deeply to our shared humanity with people across the world, and to awaken within us a desire for connection with people and their stories.
In recent months I heard of a query about the episcopal collections including funding church roofs in the Diocese of Western Tanganyika (DWT). The concern was about collecting money to send abroad for the installation of church roofs when parish churches in this diocese are needing to raise money for their own roofs.
It made me sad because DWT is part of who we are as a diocese and it is a partnership of deep and mutual relationship in which we all receive and give and learn from one another. It also made me sad because if we remain turned in on ourselves, only giving to those beyond ourselves from our ‘left overs’, then we have not truly allowed ourselves to be transformed by the overwhelming abundance of God’s love, forgiveness and life, such that our giving is a joyful response in our desire to join in with God’s work of restoration, both near and far.
Next week’s giving to Christian Aid is about real lives, and although we are unlikely to ever meet those whose lives are impacted by our giving, we are saying ‘yes’ to relationship and a desire to love our neighbour many miles away in contexts very different from our own. The invitation is to engage with people’s stories as we give financially and in prayer.
Our financial giving should never be about our left-over change, but it is always about transformational change – including our own. That sort of giving begins by responding to the love and generosity of God, and in that we have so much to learn from our brothers and sisters in countries hundreds of miles away, including our partner dioceses in Tanzania and South India, as well as those being supported through relationship in the work of Christian Aid.
With my thanks and prayers as ever,
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