Tearfund event sends a prophetic message to the G8
The world’s most powerful leaders are coming to our backyard and we have the chance to speak to them on behalf of the poor to accept God’s call to justice and lobby for that.
This was the message that church leaders from across Northern Ireland heard recently in East Belfast Mission. Tearfund President Elaine Storkey and Skainos Director Glenn Jordan discussed what kind of message the church should deliver to David Cameron, Barack Obama and the rest of the G8.
In his introduction, Tearfund NI Director Tim Magowan reminded us that the prophets were passionate and emotional people who found creative ways of speaking a hard truth to the powerful.
Elaine Storkey reiterated that God’s call to stand up for the poor and oppressed is threaded through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation –“there is more about justice than there is about prayer or preaching” and its an imperative that we need to answer.
Glenn Jordan picked up on the theme arguing that we had lost confidence in the transformative message of the Gospel. “We have reduced the gospel to matter of personal holiness when it is meant to transform every area. Salvation may be the centre of God’s plan but its not the circumference – his reach extends to all of the Cosmos.” He also encouraged us to get back to the text and be honest about what it actually says. For example the Children of Israel became slaves, in part because of the economic policies of Joseph and he drew parallels to what is happening in the world today.
“Yes salvation is crucial,” responded Elaine, “but the next question is How then shall we live?… we are contextual people and need to ask questions in the context of where and when we live.”
Both speakers went on to give examples of how lives had been transformed both in Belfast and across the world by people taking the gospel seriously and standing up for the forgotten. Elaine outlined the thought behind the IF Campaign which is asking G8 leaders to work in 4 areas. Aid, Tax, Transparency and Land.
Glenn’s final thought was that Manna is the model economic story for Christians. “It teaches us the lessons of sufficiency …the need to circulate – there is enough resource for everyone in the community if we learn to live with enough for our needs – wealth must circulate and not accumulate. And finally Sabbath rest – that we must step back from that and not see ourselves solely as units of production.”
Bishop Harold attending in his capacity as a Tearfund Vice President said, “Today brought together the international and the local – and the really exciting expression of the fact that the gospel is part off the whole of our lives. Once we are saved – How then shall we live? The answer is to be different, to be transformational – to live our lives in justice for the whole community and especially for the poor.”
Revd Norman Hamilton, former Presbyterian Moderator, added that, “The overriding lesson was that we need to do more than simply hear about the church overseas but actually learn from them, how to affect change both where they are and where we are.”
Action
Tearfund is asking Christians across the UK to set their phone for 1.08 pm every day between now and the G8 summit and to take a moment to pray for the leaders to have courage to take the right decisions on behalf of the poor. 1.08 also reminds us that 1 in 8 people in the world go hungry every day.
They are also encouraging all church members to sign a postcard to David Cameron with the message that “There is enough food for everyone IF”. If you would like to order postcards for your congregations please contact Tearfund on 02890 730060.
They are also calling Christians to join them for a moment of prayer for the G8 on Saturday 15 June at 1.00 pm in May Street Presbyterian Church in Belfast. The church will be open from noon –3.00 pm and there will be music, kids activities and a chance to meet Tearfund partners from across the world.