This year marks the 25th anniversary of the U.N. General Assembly’s designation of Nov. 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The day serves as an annual reminder of the power of collective solidarity, which is needed from one year onto another to change the structural inequities posed by violence against women. The day also launches 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence organized by civil society around the world, including the Church, to join forces to address violence against women as the most pervasive breach of human rights worldwide. The annual campaign concludes on International Human Rights Day, Dec. 10.
It’s almost time for seasonal gatherings with those we love. Many people will choose which recipes to prepare, who will host and who will travel, and how many pieces of pie to put on their plates. Some will have the privilege of deciding on guest lists, gift lists and which days to take off work.
“I voted.” Who doesn’t love slapping one of those stickers on their shirt, reusable water bottle or notebook? It’s a seemingly simple action and declaration.
And yet as the United States approaches another presidential election day — one in which vitriol, rhetoric and “fake news” continue to dominate airwaves and social platforms — those “I voted” stickers carry a greater weight. For to vote — in free and democratic elections — is to keep at bay the threats of authoritarian power grabs and nationalistic fervor. Voting is both a right and a responsibility to participate in the shaping of our common life. In recent election cycles, however, the guarantee of “free” and “democratic” processes has endured profound challenges
World Community Day began in 1943 as a day for church women to study peace. After World War II, church leaders felt that they should set aside a day for prayer and ecumenical study. The leaders thought that while believers were performing peace and justice work by themselves, a day when they could study across denominations would be beneficial to all. The theme for this year’s World Community Day is “Walk Humbly with God,” based on Micah 6:8.
Forty years ago, the Dutch Reformed Mission Church (DRMC) in South Africa adopted Belydenis van Belhar — the Confession of Belhar — in its first reading. Belhar was an outgrowth of the DRMC’s effort to grapple with the church’s participation in and defense of apartheid and touches prominently on themes of unity, reconciliation and justice. The DRMC adopted Belhar in its final form in 1986.
As I sit here in the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations (PMUN) office across from U.N. headquarters, I can see the large U.N. flag fluttering in the wind. That flag is a beacon of hope for so many around the world. When the United Nations was created in 1945, after the devastation of World War II, it was determined “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” And yet, almost 80 years later, we are again facing multiple wars and crises posing existential threats.
At the end of August, many young people, the new group of Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs), gathered from different worlds — some speaking English, others Spanish.
Conversation came slowly and hesitantly as we tried to connect, but the distance of language hung heavy between us. Then, one evening a few days into orientation, everything changed. With just three words, everyone gathered around, and suddenly we were all speaking the same language.
During my first year as a pastor, there were certain milestones I knew to look forward to. I looked forward to the first time I stood at the Communion table and invited my congregation to share in the feast, and the first time I marked an infant with water and proclaimed how much God loved her in baptism. I looked forward to my first Christmas and first sunrise Easter service. But there were other firsts that I didn’t know about that caught me off guard with their beauty.
Oct. 16 is World Food Day. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization theme for 2024 is “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future”:
The world’s farmers produce enough food to feed more than the global population, yet hunger persists. Around 733 million people are facing hunger in the world due to repeated weather shocks, conflicts, economic downturns, inequality and the pandemic. This impacts the poor and vulnerable most severely, many of whom are agricultural households, reflecting widening inequalities across and within countries.
This World Communion Sunday, let us remember the Christ who we meet at the Table of Grace and affirm that in Christ all Christians are one, regardless of nationality, race or ethnicity.
