Return to home page
Service Beyond the Parish
|
Letter from the Bishop The letter below is reprinted from the July 1,
2005, issue of Please Note, a bimonthly epistle from the Bishop of the Diocese
of North Carolina THE BISHOP OF NORTH CAROLINA A Missionary Diocese LIVING GOD'S DREAM Making Disciples, Making a Difference What Jay Z, Ms. Dynamite, the Archbishop of Canterbury
and Jim Wallis Have In Common What do Jay Z, Dave Matthews, Bono, Ms. Dynamite, Rowan Williams
and Jim Wallis have in common? I'm sure there is quite a bit,
but there is one thing of note. Each one, in their own way, is part
of a gathering movement working to eradicate human poverty in our
time, in line with the Millennium Development Goals of the United
Nations. Tomorrow, these and other stars will participate in Live 8, a
global concert intended to both raise money and consciousness in
the name of eradicating poverty, specifically on the continent of
Africa. Last week the Archbishop of Canterbury hosted a meeting of
religious leaders addressing the issues of global poverty (the text
of their communiqué is below). Next week the leaders of the G8
nations will be at a Summit focused greatly on practical steps
toward the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.
Serious consideration is being given to implement the goal of
nations designating 0.7% of GNP to global development work to end
poverty and disease. I am writing to ask you to consider a commitment of money.
Specifically, I'm writing to invite us as a diocesan community
to set aside 0.7% of our budgets, personal and congregational,
toward efforts that work to eradicate poverty in line with the
Millennium Development Goals adopted by the United Nations, the
General Convention of the ECUSA and the Convention of our Diocese.
The Diocese did this in the 2005 Mission and Ministry budget
adopted by our Annual Convention. I have personally made that
commitment a part of my tithe. As we begin to consider parish and
personal budgets for 2006 I invite us all to consider doing the
same. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals pledge
to: 1. eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; 2. achieve universal primary education; 3. promote gender equality and empower women; 4. reduce child mortality; 5. improve material health; 6. combat HIV/AIDS; 7. ensure environmental stability; and 8. develop a global partnership for
development. There is much that divides us as a human community. Our common
ground may well be found in the higher ground of practical
compassion, justice and love that makes a
difference. "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you
have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother
or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to
them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,' and yet
you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So
faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead." James 2:14-17 Keep the faith, +Michael |