In an online message, Bishop Graham reflects on our current situation both in the UK and overseas. There have been some amazing responses and we have seen the sacrifice of many to bring healing. How do we walk in the footsteps of Jesus in these times?
In his reflection, Bishop Graham explores four areas that we might ponder in answering the question: “what would Jesus do, or is doing?”.
“I believe he is with the Father, with the suffering, with the poor, and with us all.
“Jesus begins so many of his conversations with a question. And isolation is making us as a society begin to ask questions and to have conversations that dare to dream what a post-Covid world might look like, knowing that we will not be going back to normal, but forward to into new horizons.
“Jesus asks us how that future might be good news for the lost, the least and the lonely? How might the beatitudes become real? He asks us how will we ensure that the poor don’t end up paying for it all?
“How might that future be one where those that Christian Aid seeks to support might begin to flourish – those who are themselves daily on the frontline of disease, drought, famine, climate change and a hundred and one related challenges to get through each day? What from the old ways of living has enabled this pandemic to happen and how do we change so as to avoid those ways in the future?
“What does it mean to be part of a common humanity stretched around the world where we support one another? I think that Jesus would be asking us that type of question.”
Julian Bryant, Christian Aid’s Norfolk Church Engagement Worker adds, “Christian Aid is working overseas with some of the poorest communities on our planet. In Sierra Leone there are no intensive care beds and in Malawi there is just one intensive care bed for every one million people. In refugee camps, where tens of thousands of people live closely together it is very hard to keep socially distant from one other. For many there are simply no ventilators and 40 per cent of the world’s population does not even have access to soap and water. What would Jesus do? We see examples of this every day in our partners work but they need more resources.”
People in this diocese are doing a variety of things to make a difference including sponsored activities, online services, and more. Nationally Christian Aid is offering online quizzes, reflections, sponsored activities and a service with Rowan Williams.
You can find out more and donate at caweek.org