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In touch

Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues

What can we do?

What can we do in the face of the news from Afghanistan? (John 6.63)

The Taliban’s recapture of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US-led coalition armed forces has been a huge shock to concerned people around the world; not least to some of the soldiers who have served there over the past 20 years.

In the face of such an overwhelming event and the feelings of helplessness and despair it may evoke, it is both natural and right for people of good faith to ask, ‘What can we do?’

 

Ideas for sermons or interactive talks

• For Christians, the answer to ‘What can we do?’ is always the same: we must recommit ourselves to answer Jesus’s call: ‘Follow me.’ As the Apostles ask in today’s Gospel reading, ‘Lord, to whom [else] can we go? You have the words of life.’ It’s never more important to remind ourselves of this than when death – including the 241,000 deaths suffered in the Afghanistan conflict – seems to have triumphed.
• The Second Letter to Timothy reminds us that ‘God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.’ Giving up (as opposed to taking a break, which even Jesus did sometimes), is not an option for Christians, no matter how much we may feel like it.
• So where, and how, can we start? The ‘where’ is easy: Wherever we are right now: at home or work, at school or college, in the shops and streets, among our families, friends and neighbours – and don’t forget what a Christian means by ‘neighbour’! The ‘how’ is easier than it may seem, too: Some of us may be called to work with aid and development agencies, political or diplomatic institutions, or refugee organisations directly involved in caring for those most at risk: women and girls, Afghans who worked with the allied forces, everyone whose social and online behaviour over the past 20 years may be unacceptable to their new rulers, and the refugees being driven from their homes by violence or fear.
• Some of us will inevitably encounter new Afghan immigrants to our own country, and their future physical and mental wellbeing will depend greatly on the warmth of the welcome they receive among us.
• All of us can try to make sure that we are well-informed about the situation of God’s Afghan sons and daughters, and pray both generally for all of them, and specifically for persons and groups or communities to whom our hearts are drawn.
• In simple terms, we must be as loving as we can to everyone whose lives we can influence, and trust God for the rest.

 

Questions for discussion

• What is our Church’s greatest concern with regard to the changing situation in Afghanistan?
• What are the most reliable sources for keeping our Church and ourselves informed of the needs of Afghan people at risk?
• How can we support aid and development agencies, diplomatic or political institutions, or refugee organisations, according to where we perceive the greatest need?

Practical suggestions for supporting Afghan people at risk are available online.

Robert Beard is a freelance writer and Church of England priest.

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Check-in

Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people

How does it feel when life suddenly changes? The people of Afghanistan have experienced sudden and scary change this week as the Taliban, an extreme military group, has taken control of the country. News reports show people in shock and fearful for the future. Young people there are unsure whether they will even be able to return to school.

Moments of fear and uncertainty can be overwhelming and leave us with fundamental questions and choices. In this week’s passage, the disciples struggle to understand Jesus’ teaching. Some find it so difficult that they choose to leave. Jesus asks the 12 if they also wish to leave, but they respond with the question, ‘to whom can we go?’

Choosing to follow Jesus is not an easy choice, and it is not simply a case of making this decision once. As life throws difficult circumstances our way, we are constantly challenged to wrestle with difficult questions and choose again to follow Jesus. The disciples learn that they can ask their questions, show their fears, and look to Jesus in times of uncertainty.

Where do you turn at times of change? Who do you talk to about your own questions and fears? How can you support others in the group when they face difficult changes? Whether you have questions about your own situations or those concerning worldwide issues, bring them to Jesus in prayer. Like Simon Peter, choose again to follow Jesus, trusting Him and listening to His words of spirit and life.   

Simon Hill, is the Youth Officer for Worcester Diocese

 

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