The World Council of Churches says' We are conscious that flattening the Covid-19 curve has realized its own share of challenges, which emphasize the fissures in the way society is ordered. There has been an increase in internet usage in this season of Covid-19 isolative measures. How has that affected you? Has this been a blessing or an inconvenience? How are you communicating with your congregants and ministry partners? How has your region fared in dealing with the various add-on implications of flattening the curve – domestic violence, unemployment, food scarcity, mental health and suicide challenges, crime and violence, inability to gather together in one physical place as a … [Read more...]
Thursdays in Black
In every country, gender-based violence is a tragic reality. This violence is frequently hidden, and victims are often silent, fearing stigma and further violence. We all have a responsibility to speak out against violence, to ensure that women and men, boys and girls, are safe from rape and violence in homes, schools, work, streets – in all places in our societies. Thursdays in Black: Resistance and ResilienceThe campaign is simple but profound. Wear black on Thursdays. Wear a pin to declare you are part of the global movement resisting attitudes and practices that permit rape and violence. Show your respect for women who are resilient in the face of injustice and violence. … [Read more...]
Kindness is a Mode of Blessing
‘Perhaps we bless each other all the time, without even realizing it. When we show compassion or kindness to one another, we are setting blessing in train. There is a way in which an act of kindness done becomes an independent luminous thing, a kind of jewel box of light that might conceal itself for days or years until one day, when you are in desperate straits, you notice something at the floor at your feet. You reach for it and discover exactly the courage and vision for which you desperately hunger’. John O’Donoghue has written a whole book of blessings, called Benedictus. Published in 2007, this collection is remarkably suited to the spirit of our time, as we progress through … [Read more...]
Anglican Communion on Covid-19
A message to Anglicans around the world from the global leadership of the Anglican Communion As governments around the world react and respond to the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic, many people are finding them-selves facing unprecedented restrictions on their day-to-day lives. Many of us will have lived with such restrictions on a temporary basis in our particular country or region over recent years in response to instability, wars, and natural disasters. But for many, such restrictions are new. In any event, the global nature of the restrictions put them on an entirely different scale not seen since the Second World War. Many provinces of the Anglican Communion … [Read more...]
Where is Bridie Going?
Kia ora! My name is Bridie Boyd and I am from a parish in Christchurch. I am involved in advocacy for women in the Church and I am about to represent our province at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. I would like some input from other people in our province so that my preparations and work during my time at the U.N is as effective as possible. This year, I am going as an Anglican representative. We are looking at the importance of engagement with faith communities, women and gender-based violence: transforming unjust structures of society, women and climate change: safeguarding the integrity of creation, and lastly, women and economic empowerment: responding to human … [Read more...]
The Way of the Cross-the Way of Sorrow 2
Nai Cokanasiga concludes her report on her time at St Georges College, Jerusalem. We departed from the College on foot to walk the Way of the Cross. We took turns carrying the cross and singing hymns. It was a Friday morning in Jerusalem and most of the shops in the city were closed in preparation for the Sabbath, the traffic was not so busy and there were fewer people. We stopped for the readings all the way to the church of the Holy Sepulchre, and completed the 14 stations. It was quite a morning with the long hours we had to wait to get into the church to visit Jesus’ Tomb. There was a crowd already there , but only 4 people can get in, so there were queues of … [Read more...]
