Where Do We Go From Here

31 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? beliefs, it is our actions and decisions that speak most clearly of how God is at work with and through us. Our world, especially beyond the borders of Australia, is riven and twisted by war and conflict. Even within Australia, we see communities and groups turning against one another, often cheered on by unscrupulous players who wish to profit, economically or politically, from the conflict they foster. Within our own church, conflict over power and authority threatens our unity. Sometimes it is hard to judge who is in the right and who in the wrong. Sometimes there are no clear answers, except the answer that God’s peace and justice might, should we seek to pray for it, to embrace it and to enact it, bring genuine salvation and hope – especially to those who suffer. In the final analysis, peace matters most to those who are victims of violence. Peacemaking is not an attractive option but an essential vocation. Of course, there are also times in our ever more fast-paced world, when we might also need to allow more time before leaping to judgement. Christ risked everything in the hope that his life, death and resurrection would reconcile us both to God and to each other. Jesus is the ultimate peacemaker and we are asked to ‘follow him’ in this calling. Around the world, ABM’s Partners often place themselves in the gap between warring tribes. In the Gaza Strip, the Al Ahli Arab Hospital, run by the Diocese of Jerusalem, stands as a symbol of God’s love, offering treatment to all who come. It is a place of peace in the midst of war. Its staff stand with Christ. Part of the work of ‘mission’, both abroad and at home, is finding the courage to stand up for those who are the victims of violence, injustice and oppression. In this we must also find the courage to pray earnestly, to trust hopefully and to ‘risk’ our own reputations for the sake of those who suffer. If the followers of Jesus are not courageous on their behalf, who else shall we expect to fill the gap?