21.12.2007
LWF Churches Urged to Act on Human Rights, Illegitimate Debt and Climate Change in 2008
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New Year Message from General Secretary Noko GENEVA, 21 December 2007 (LWI) – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko invites churches to enter the year 2008 with the resolve to reclaim promises made nearly six decades ago to respect the fundamental elements of every person’s God-given human dignity. In his New Year Message issued in December, Noko cites human rights, illegitimate debt and protecting the earth, as some of the major challenges requiring churches’ reflection and action. He underscores 2007 as a significant year for the LWF as it celebrated its 60th anniversary, not as a celebration for its own sake, but also as “an occasion for the renewal and strengthening of relationships within the communion of churches and with our partners in Christ’s mission.” As next year marks the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Let this not be an empty celebration,” Noko stresses. The Universal Declaration has served as an inspiration and call to action worldwide, “but too little has been achieved in fulfilling the promises it contains,” he notes. The LWF general secretary challenges the churches to see the coming year as one in which “we as churches reclaim the promises made in 1948, insist on accountability to them, and work for their universal practical implementation.” Noko highlights illegitimate debt as an obstacle not only to the enjoyment of human rights but also “to the reception of the liberating Good News of Christ in those communities who still groan under its crushing weight.” The general secretary argues the jubilee in which debts are forgiven and captives set free, “is too long overdue for these victims of economic injustice.” He urges churches, instead of striving for an exceptional jubilee, to seek new ways of ensuring that “economic relations between states are informed by ethical principles, and no longer result in debt bondage for generations of poor people.” Noko reminds the LWF to respond as a communion to the challenge of climate change, pointing out 2008 will be a critical period in shaping the international framework for achieving the requisite emission reduction targets in order to avoid catastrophic impacts. “We must promote new ways of relating to and living within creation that better reflect in practice our theological understandings of communio,” he adds. The full text of the general secretary’s New Year Message follows: 2008 New Year Message from the General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation In the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, I greet all members of the LWF communion throughout the world. As we enter into a new year with the good news of Christ’s birth still ringing in our ears and in our hearts, we renew our commitment to following Christ in his mission in the world, to being the church for others, and participating with Christ in God’s Kingdom. In 2008, as in all years, we are challenged to reflect on how to be Christ’s church in the world’s contexts, and to act in response to the many challenges facing God’s people on earth. In 2007 we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the LWF. It was not a celebration for its own sake, but a celebration of what God has done through LWF’s work over these 60 years, perfecting our imperfect efforts in God’s name. It was also an occasion for the renewal and strengthening of relationships within the communion of churches and with our partners in Christ’s mission. The year 2008 will mark another 60th anniversary—the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in which the international community promised to respect the fundamental elements of the human dignity that God has given to each of us. Let this not be an empty celebration either. The Universal Declaration has served as an inspiration and a call to action to all peoples around the world. But in truth, too little has been achieved in fulfilling the promises it contains. Let 2008 be a year in which we as churches reclaim the promises made in 1948, insist on accountability to them, and work for their universal practical implementation. The continuing burden of illegitimate debt is an obstacle to the enjoyment of human rights and to the reception of the liberating Good News of Christ in those communities who still groan under its crushing weight. The jubilee, in which debts are forgiven and the captives set free, is too long overdue for these victims of economic injustice. Instead of an exceptional jubilee, let us strive this year for new ways of ensuring that economic relations between states are informed by ethical principles, and no longer result in debt bondage for generations of poor people. The fundamental ethical challenge of our age is to protect the planet—to be good stewards of creation—and to respond as a communion to the challenge of climate change. The year 2008 will be a critical period in shaping the international framework for achieving the emission reduction targets that will be required to avoid catastrophic environmental, developmental and humanitarian impacts. We as churches must play our role in witnessing to the damage inflicted on God’s creation, to the suffering of the voiceless victims—human and non-human —of our profligacy. We must encourage the political will to change the unsustainable patterns of the past. And we must promote new ways of relating to and living within creation that better reflect in practice our theological understandings of communio. We are a communion of churches in Christ’s body. We believe that when any part of the body suffers, all suffer. And we are a communion of churches for others—for those who suffer and are oppressed—regardless of their belief. To paraphrase Dietrich Bonhoeffer, we will not let our Christianity be a mere metaphysical abstraction to be spoken of only at the edges of life. We will stand, as the church must stand, not at the boundaries where human powers give out, but in the middle of our global village. May God strengthen us for this task, and to continue to follow Christ in 2008.
Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko General Secretary December 2007 .
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Sumber: http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2150.EN.html
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