Racial Justice Sunday

It’s two months since I left Tranzania and I am very much missing the place and the people – not to mention the sun!  I’ve started work as a Pastoral Assistant for the Parishes of St. Agnes and St. Aidan .  Not having my days dictated by timetables and bells is a little strange but I’m sure I’ll get used to it...  As part of the job, I’m writing a weekly reflection for the newsletter and I thought that as I’m also missing writing the blog a bit (and I notice that it is still getting occasional visitors), I’ll post some of the reflections.  

Sunday just gone was Racial Justice Sunday.  My six months in Tanzania gave me a little insight into  what it is like to be an ‘imigrant’, part of a minority.  I’m very aware though that my experience as a mzungo in Tanzania was overwhelmingly positive and that this is not always the case for imigrants and minority groups in the UK.  It was with a particular interest then that I perused the Racial Justice Sunday web site and  put together the reflection:

“Racial Justice Sunday offers us an opportunity to reflect on the fact that we are all members of the human family, bound together by our common humanity.  The theme this year is: ‘Migration - Building Bridges or Barriers?’

Part of our Christian heritage is the Biblical tradition of migration and the welcoming of strangers, particularly those who are vulnerable and in need.  It is not a new phenomenon and is an essential aspect of our mission and ministry.  Migration is also an integral part of British history and an important dimension of our current reality.  It continues to be a pressing social issue that touches deeply on human dignity.

The scriptures teach us that migration is also a theological event:  God’s covenant was revealed to the chosen people when they were in the process of migrating.  Jesus and his family were forced to become refugees in Egypt, to escape persecution.

Following the life and teachings of Jesus then, demands that we be prepared to follow his example; crossing borders of all kinds, to create a community of compassion and generosity reflective of God’s unlimited love for all people.

The parables in today’s Gospel present us with the image of a seeking, welcoming, loving and embracing God.  We are likewise encouraged to welcome the excluded, wounded, vulnerable and despairing.  Our relationship with God cannot be separated from our relationship with fellow human beings.   God calls us to ‘live fully’ and there is a joy in living lives geared towards wholeness and inclusion.” 

More information on Racial Justice Sunday can be found at: www.ctbi.org.uk/490