Archbishop spotlights Sudan suffering in Easter message to churches
-19/04/06
The ongo
Archbishop spotlights Sudan suffering in Easter message to churches
-19/04/06
The ongoing suffering in Darfur and in Southern Sudan shows how much Christians have still to do in order to bring the reality of Easter to the world, says the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.
In his ecumenical Eastertide Letter sent to the heads of other churches and confessional families throughout the world, Dr Williams says that his experiences in Sudan earlier in 2006 revealed worrying signs that the slowness of aid was compounding what was already becoming a silent tragedy.
He writes: ìA visit Ö to Sudan brought home just how little and just how slowly we respond to each other according to the laws of the new creation. The mechanisms by which international aid is delivered are so slow that the people of war-torn Southern Sudan, even a whole year after the peace agreement, are still waiting for basic aid, and too few voices are raised in the wealthy world to protest.î
Dr Williams continues: ìIn Darfur, neither national nor international forces have found a way of breaking the cycle of brutal violence and terror. Too many of us human beings, it seems, are content that death should be at work in others so long as our own life is unaffected.î
The Church, says the spiritual head of 77 million Anglicans worldwide, should live in testimony to the transforming power of the resurrection
He declares ìEaster reminds us that the reality of the new world truly has arrived in our midst. It really is possible to live differently. The cost may look frightening, but its outcome is for all. So we should give thanks that our world has been turned upside down by God in Christ; and we should be asking how we may live more fully in that world, accepting death for our selfishness so that the life of Jesus may be seen and experienced in peace justice and reconciliation.î
As reported on Ekklesia, an inter-faith coalition of Christian, Jewish, Muslim and bipartisan agencies has recently been formed in the Unites States to call for more action on behalf of the conflict torn people of Darfur. A demonstration will be held in Washington DC on 30 April 2006.
China and Russia recently blocked a move at the United Nations to impose sanctions on four protagonists in the bloodshed which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and created 1.8 million internal refugees.
Campaigners say that European nations have been slow to react to the tragedy. But today UK international development secretary Hilary Benn confirmed Britain’s concern, and the country’s role in assisting the peace process and supporting the intervention of the African Union. Critics reply that more needs to be done.
Todayís United Nations report on refugees, which says that the number of people forced out of their own countries is at a 25 year low, also highlights the growing problem of internal displacement due to civil war and changing patterns of global conflict.
[Also on Ekklesia: UN and faith groups highlight harsh treatment of refugees 19/04/06; Rowan Williams contrasts radical Jesus to ‘exotic mysteries’ 18/04/06; Faith and humanitarian coalition pushes for end to Darfur crisis 18/04/06; Archbishop of Canterbury says Gospel isn’t a cover-up for the powerful 18/04/06]
Archbishop spotlights Sudan suffering in Easter message to churches
-19/04/06
The ongoing suffering in Darfur and in Southern Sudan shows how much Christians have still to do in order to bring the reality of Easter to the world, says the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.
In his ecumenical Eastertide Letter sent to the heads of other churches and confessional families throughout the world, Dr Williams says that his experiences in Sudan earlier in 2006 revealed worrying signs that the slowness of aid was compounding what was already becoming a silent tragedy.
He writes: ìA visit Ö to Sudan brought home just how little and just how slowly we respond to each other according to the laws of the new creation. The mechanisms by which international aid is delivered are so slow that the people of war-torn Southern Sudan, even a whole year after the peace agreement, are still waiting for basic aid, and too few voices are raised in the wealthy world to protest.î
Dr Williams continues: ìIn Darfur, neither national nor international forces have found a way of breaking the cycle of brutal violence and terror. Too many of us human beings, it seems, are content that death should be at work in others so long as our own life is unaffected.î
The Church, says the spiritual head of 77 million Anglicans worldwide, should live in testimony to the transforming power of the resurrection
He declares ìEaster reminds us that the reality of the new world truly has arrived in our midst. It really is possible to live differently. The cost may look frightening, but its outcome is for all. So we should give thanks that our world has been turned upside down by God in Christ; and we should be asking how we may live more fully in that world, accepting death for our selfishness so that the life of Jesus may be seen and experienced in peace justice and reconciliation.î
As reported on Ekklesia, an inter-faith coalition of Christian, Jewish, Muslim and bipartisan agencies has recently been formed in the Unites States to call for more action on behalf of the conflict torn people of Darfur. A demonstration will be held in Washington DC on 30 April 2006.
China and Russia recently blocked a move at the United Nations to impose sanctions on four protagonists in the bloodshed which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and created 1.8 million internal refugees.
Campaigners say that European nations have been slow to react to the tragedy. But today UK international development secretary Hilary Benn confirmed Britain’s concern, and the country’s role in assisting the peace process and supporting the intervention of the African Union. Critics reply that more needs to be done.
Todayís United Nations report on refugees, which says that the number of people forced out of their own countries is at a 25 year low, also highlights the growing problem of internal displacement due to civil war and changing patterns of global conflict.
[Also on Ekklesia: UN and faith groups highlight harsh treatment of refugees 19/04/06; Rowan Williams contrasts radical Jesus to ‘exotic mysteries’ 18/04/06; Faith and humanitarian coalition pushes for end to Darfur crisis 18/04/06; Archbishop of Canterbury says Gospel isn’t a cover-up for the powerful 18/04/06]