Integral Mission and Freedom
Participants from 10 nations are currently gathered in Livingstone, Zambia for our Africa Regional Consultation which is focusing on Gender Based Violence and Anti-human Trafficking. We were delighted to be joined on Tuesday by the Zambian Minister for Home Affairs Dr Ngosa Simbyakula, who especially made the trip from Lusaka to join us as he recognised the importance of the topic we were addressing.
Gathering as a network we found that the opportunity to advocate for action that improves the lives of vulnerable people was a natural outflow of our deliberations. This current example underpinned the exciting developments in Micah as we draw together the gifts and capacities of Micah Network and Micah Challenge.
Martin Kapenda (Zambia Micah Challenge National Coordinator) and I sat together envisioning how we could respond to this moment in time, calling for an integrated and radical commitment to live out integral mission in our nations. We asked the question: what would Zambia look like if God answered our prayer for it? Imagining this bigger picture helps us to consider what role Micah can play in moving us forward towards this vision, indeed what role can / should each of us play?
It should be remembered that Integral Mission is not a project or a programme, rather it is an approach to our Christian faith that seeks to relate God's ongoing revelation to all aspects of our lives, indeed to the whole of creation. Integral mission challenges us to live out what we say we believe, to respond in obedience to Christ in all things. At the heart of this obedience is our call to work with God in His mission, through His church, for His glory.
The questions we are wrestling with in Zambia this week is how can we together raise awareness of the travesty of gender based violence and the inhumane treatment of people who are trafficked, exploited and abused. How can we mobilise every available stakeholder to make a stand and STOP gender based violence and trafficking.
We read from Luke 4:18-19 and shared together that as Jesus was sent so he sends us to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed..
As each of us in our nations plan together for the launch of Micah this December – may we be bold and determined to play our part in liberating the captives, restoring sight and lives, and reconciling one to another. Our Global Consultation is now only a year away (14th to 18th September 2015) – Integral Mission and Shalom: justice, peace and joy. We invite you to submit papers on this so that we can prepare well in advance.
Grace and peace
Sheryl Haw
International Director
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