Church of England General Synod
Wednesday 14 November 2001
The horrendous events of 11th September have forced the people of America, of this country and of the whole Western world to discover what much of the rest of the world knows only too well: the terror of sudden violence: the fearful uncertainty of what lies ahead; and the unsettling sense of loosing control over what happens in our lives. In many parts of the world, these are the realities of everyday life.
By his own obedient life and death, Jesus Christ was the faithful model for Christians in their suffering, such as Christians today in Sudan and in other parts of the world.
At his resurrection, Jesus became the firstborn from the dead. When he ascended, he became ruler over the kings. At his return, His rule will be plain for all to see.
In Revelation Chapter 4, we heard described the adoration of God the creator by all the inhabitants of heaven and earth. Our God is beyond description. His throne fills the entire scene, giving us awareness of His power in all situations.
In Sudan, the situation has deteriorated. The civil war has been going on for 45 years. More than 2 million people have lost their lives. The extent of suffering and displacement has defied belief. People have been waiting and are still waiting on the Lord for it to end. Human efforts have led to nothing. People have had no choice but to surrender the situation and the solution into the hands of God. But there is more to our prolonged suffering than the time alone. Our waiting has become a lesson in itself.
Waiting expresses our complete dependence on the Lord: dependence which does not run ahead of God in making its own plans or in relying on its own strength. To wait on the Lord is an expression of complete trust. Very often God asks people to wait precisely as an exercise in trust.
By waiting, God promises us a purified heart. By waiting, the way opens leading us to purified behaviour .We are promised in Scripture that this will take place through the sanctifying spirit of God. We are cleansed from sin by the power of the blood of Jesus. Through this we can live in holiness of heart. As St Peter writes, "God's grace is love for us in Jesus." The peace which he brings includes the full blessings of salvation.
One of the great sufferings we have experienced has been the dispersal of the Sudanese people. Over six million have been internally displaced and millions more have fled the country .Perhaps the Prophet Zephaniah was describing the dispersed Sudanese people in the verses we heard in our Old Testament reading. Our people are scattered throughout different parts of the world: in the United States, in Canada, in this country , in Australia, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Scandinavian countries, Kenya, Uganda, Central African Republic, and Ethiopia. In exile, they are acknowledging God's mercy in blessing them through the gift of His Holy Spirit. They learn to trust in the name of the Lord for forgiveness for their past sins. They are encouraged to no longer be ashamed when they discover God's grace as love for us in Jesus.
I have been travelling without rest to encourage the dispersed Sudanese people. My message to Christians in the Sudan, to those who are displaced and to refugees in the dispora is threefold:
- They should be repentant not combative;
- They should unite, not divide;
- They should love and not hate.
We urgently need the war in Sudan to come to an end. Our people cry out to be able to return to their own homes, to be able to cultivate the land, to rebuild their schools.
But perhaps through God' s grace, much more will be achieved through our "face on the floor" experience -our prolonged experience of intense suffering -than would ever have been accomplished otherwise. Not only are we to emulate Jesus in his proclamation of the Gospel, but we are to follow his example of obedience in suffering. We are to be the kingdom of God, purified by the suffering we have undergone. We are to live out the kingdom. We must show it in the principles we live and teach. This is the meaning of incarnation: it challenges us amidst the pain and shock of recent events. Our lives are to be transformed in the midst of all this suffering. This is perhaps the most powerful message of all: God's grace is here for all: as love for us in Jesus.