Summary
We live in an era of unequalled material prosperity. Yet far too many people have been excluded and exploited. And our unconstrained economic growth is pushing the natural world beyond its limits.
Hundreds of millions live in extreme poverty and hunger, millions are trapped in slavery and far too many children die without ever seeing their fifth birthday.
At the same time, species are vanishing from the planet at alarming rates, oceans are acidifying, and climate catastrophes like floods, fires, droughts and hurricanes are intensifying. The deepening climate crisis is increasingly exacerbating poverty and threatening to displace millions of people from their homes.
A dramatic transformation of our current systems is needed so that all people, now and into the future, have the opportunity to experience a life of flourishing.
We believe that God is calling us today to be a voice for Jesus’ mission of good news for the poor and love for all creation. We believe we can, if we choose to, not only address the immediate fallout from the pandemic, but reset our society and global economic system to simultaneously tackle the ongoing tragedy of poverty and the deepening crisis of climate change.
We, the undersigned, as Christians and leaders in the Church, recognise that now is the time for such transformative action, and call on governments and leaders across the world to build a more just, compassionate and sustainable society so that all people and all creation can flourish.
Full version
The way we have structured our society and the global economic system is broken. A reflection of our own brokenness, they fail to serve God’s purpose for all people and all of creation to flourish.
We live in an era of unequalled material prosperity. Yet far too many people have been excluded and exploited. And our unconstrained economic growth is pushing the natural world beyond its limits.
Hundreds of millions live in extreme poverty and hunger, millions are trapped in slavery and far too many children die without ever seeing their fifth birthday.
At the same time, species are vanishing from the planet at alarming rates, oceans are acidifying, and climate catastrophes like floods, fires, droughts and hurricanes are intensifying. The deepening climate crisis is increasingly exacerbating poverty and threatening to displace millions of people from their homes.
As the health and economic crisis of COVID-19 sweeps across the world, it is exposing our existing fault lines. Many of the rich are amassing phenomenal wealth, while millions of people are being pushed deeper into poverty. And we know, as bad as the impact of COVID-19 has been, if left unchecked the fallout from climate change will be far worse.
A dramatic transformation of our current systems is needed so that all people, now and into the future, have the opportunity to experience a life of flourishing.
The pandemic has shown us what we are capable of when the need is clear. Societies across the planet have dramatically curtailed their activity, while enormous sums of money are being materialised by governments to protect lives and livelihoods.
It is action at an unheralded scale. The kind of action that shows us that such a dramatic transformation is possible.
We believe that God is calling us today to be a voice for Jesus’ mission of good news for the poor and love for all creation. We believe we can, if we choose to, not only address the immediate fallout from the pandemic, but reset our society and global economic system to simultaneously tackle the ongoing tragedy of poverty and the deepening crisis of climate change.
We, the undersigned, as Christians and leaders in the Church, recognise that now is the time for such transformative action, and call on governments and leaders across the world to build a more just, compassionate and sustainable society so that all people and all creation can flourish.
