St Edburg's Church - Bicester

Christian Aid Week, this year, falls between 15 and 22 May. I had a look on their website and was struck by a picture of a woman called Jessica with her children. They live in Zimbabwe where the combined effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, conflict and drought have robbed Jessica of the power to provide for her family. We’re told that “7,000 miles away from Jessica’s home, the war in Ukraine will drive up food prices in Zimbabwe, and around the globe. Without the fertiliser and food - like wheat and cooking oil - that Ukraine and Russia produce, vulnerable families will be pushed even deeper into hunger”.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

It sounds like a hopeless situation.  A pandemic, climate crisis, and war are, each in themselves, huge challenges but all three combined seem insurmountable. However, the message that Christian Aid is giving this year is: “Help turn hunger into hope”.  Every gift, action, prayer can make a huge difference. We must never lose hope.

 

I remember doing house-to-house collections for Christian Aid in the days before on-line donations. I was always struck by the generosity of those who lived in the least affluent areas. It was humbling to be close to such instinctive giving. 

 

So, how do we respond and spread some of the hope that Christian Aid is encouraging? There are a variety of ways. Donations can be made at church services or through Christian Aid’s website. One can also create an e-envelope, sharing Christian Aid’s QR code through social media and emails. If you’re feeling fit, or hoping to get fit, you can follow the example of Bishop Steven and take up Christian Aid’s 30,000 step challenge by being sponsored to walk an average of 10K steps a day for a month.

 

Christian Aid week reminds us that we are all one family across the world. As St Paul wrote in I Corinthians 12, the world is like a human body and individually we are like parts of that body. “If one part is hurt, all the parts share its pain. And if one part is honoured, all the parts share its joy.” (v 26) That body is also Christ’s body and because of that we can have hope, because Christ’s body leads us to the Resurrection and to hope growing out of despair.

 

Diana Glover

​