Worshipping in a special constructed 'car-thedral' (a converted multi-storey car park in Newcastle University) on January 10, over 2000 young Australian Christians gave a lead to peace-making in 2003, as part of the World Council of Churches' Decade to Overcome Violence.
The worship was a special joint event as part of a shared day between two national youth conferences, NCYC (the National Christian Youth Convention of the Uniting Church in Australia) and NAYG (the National Anglican Youth Gathering). Earlier many young people had shared in the sadly only too-topical forum 'Was Jesus a Terrorist? - should a Christian ever go to war?' and then all the delegates came together in worship focussing on Cultivating Peace, the key theme of the Decade to Overcome Violence in Australia.
Taking as a focal point the Word of God in Ephesians 2, verses 13 to 22, the lively contemporary worship centred on an exploration of what it is to be 'citizens with the saints' and to share the peace of Christ which reconciles all people through the cross. Other reflections focussed on modern day examples of those who have lived like saints in different places and circumstances: Mother Teresa and her sacrifical love in Calcutta, Oscar Romero and his commitment to justice in El Salvador, Martin Luther King and his dream of peace for all in the USA, and Cassie Bernall and her courage in the face of violent attack at Columbine High School.
Introduced to the Decade to Overcome Violence by the Revd.Dr.Jon Inkpin, coordinator of the National Council of Churches' DOV programme, the combined gathering of young people from all over Australia then made their own commitment to 'live like a saint- cultivate peace'. Each delegate took a specially designed business-card style DOV card and wrote or drew their own message of peace on the back before exchanging this with someone they did not know - an expression of their concern to share peace with 'those who are far off' as well as 'those who
are near'.
One of the cards shared as a token of peace by young Australian Christians in Newcastle
The Youth Network of the National Council of Churches in Australia has already given a strong lead to DOV in Australia, putting together an exciting CD-Rom of DOV Resources which will be distributed to every church in the country after Easter. A special animation from the CD-Rom was therefore shown to enable the NCYC/NAYG delegates to focus on what violence means in our own personal lives, facing up to our own hurts, prejudices and violence, and living in solidarity with others. Responding to the challenge, each delegate then made a shared pledge together, committing themselves to cultivating peace in their lives and world:
To respect myself and others;
To communicate honestly and positively;
To listen carefully to one another, especially to those with whom I disagree;
To forgive others and to apologise and makes amends when I hurt another;
To respect God's Creation and treat the environment and all living things
with respect and care;
To pursue healthy activities and entertainment which promote a more joyful
and less violent society;
To act courageously and to challenge violence in all its forms whenever I
encounter it,
and to stand with others who are treated unfairly, even if it means
standing alone.
This is our pledge:
to support one another in the household of faith,
to live like saints,
to cultivate God's peace.
In the name of Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
More information from Jon Inkpin
(02) 9299 2215
jinkpin@ncca.org.au |
