Archbishop on water inequality
The Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, has said the problem of water supply and sanitation illustrates why South Africa ‘is one of the most unequal countries in the world.’ He also described drought as one of the biggest risks facing South Africa’s businesses, causing food shortages, price increases and the loss of jobs for casual workers. He was speaking at the launch in London of an international church initiative to raise awareness and activism about challenges such as flooding, drought, rising tides, or access to fresh water and sanitation. The archbishop said a water crisis back home, with only three months’ supply left because of diminished rainfall, had concentrated his mind on how precious water is and on how devastating the effects of scarcity can be. He added, ‘Many of the threats to water are coming from companies who pollute rivers with industrial pollution. The shareholders of mining companies make a profit, but the local communities are left with water degradation. As a Church we stand firmly against fracking, since for short-term profit there is a danger of water systems being polluted for decades. Large corporate farms are also responsible, as artificial fertilisers and pesticides pollute the rivers,’ he said.
An astronaut’s faith
John Glenn gained heroic stature when he became the first American to orbit the earth, in February 1962. But far from his ego being rocket-boosted by such an achievement, the pioneering astronaut was humbled by the experience, and his faith in the Creator or the universe increased. Space travel at the time was inherently risky, and he said he prayed every day. Glenn, who later became the oldest human in space (at the age of 77), served as a US senator, and was a man of deep Christian faith. When he died in December, aged 95, he left the bounds of earth once more and reached heaven rather than just the heavens.
USA: help for single women
Among all homeless families in the USA, over three-quarters are headed by single women with children; about 30 percent of children in the foster care system would be discharged if their parents were properly housed. CityHouse in Delray Beach, Florida, is now providing transitional housing and support for those who would otherwise be homeless and at risk of having their children placed in foster care. Families at the Avenue Church had been providing shelter for such children. ‘We would take that child till the mum or dad got better. But what we discovered was that it was really the mum that needed care as well,’ explained Casey Cleveland, lead pastor at the church. In 2013 a small apartment building was secured with enough units to house five single mothers and their children, and CityHouse was established. The mothers must demonstrate a willingness to make a positive change in their lives, pay a small amount of rent, and attend weekly Bible studies on the property.
Friday Focus – prayer for ‘prodigals’
In Luke 15: 11-24, Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son who rejected his father and left home. But his father waited for him and welcomed him home with a party! Many of us know prodigals. Let’s commit to pray for them to come home; that they might ‘come to their senses’ and realise their loving heavenly Father is waiting to welcome them back.
(written by Jane Holloway, World Prayer Centre)
