AT A GLANCE | CWM NEWS
CWM General Secretary’s Message of Solidarity to the Tongan People Council for World Mission (CWM) General Secretary Rev. Dr Jooseop Keum delivered a message of solidarity to the people of Tonga during an online prayer vigil organised by CWM Pacific Region on 28 January.
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, I bring you greetings of peace in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! It is with great concern we received the news, through our CWM Pacific regional desk and various news outlets, about the Tonga volcano eruption. The damage that the eruption has caused is enormous, and I am deeply troubled to see such destruction. Even though we live very far away from the pacific region, we feel the pain and agony you have been going through based on the news we receive from our Pacific member churches. However, the creation, too, has been groaning because of its destruction. It is not only the volcanic eruption, but the Pacific region has been facing a huge threat from the rising of sea levels, causing great damage to the ecological integrity. It is time to take the issue seriously. Creation is at the heart of Mission. Humanity is responsible to care for the integrity of creation. Excessive greed and unlimited consumption, which lead to the continuous destruction of nature, must end. Therefore, ecological justice is the most urgent mission today. That’s why, the new CWM strategy framework calls upon the CWM member churches to participate in mission of life-flourishing creation. The ecological integrity and climate justice are a matter of our “Faith in God.” Humanity cannot be saved alone while the rest of the created world perishes. Eco-justice cannot be separated from salvation, and salvation cannot come without a new humility that respects the needs of all life on earth. The destruction caused by the volcanic eruption can be a huge challenge for the Tongan churches and people to restore to normal conditions. While I heartfully appreciate you for your resilience and hope, I also would like to assure you that the CWM will stand in solidarity with all the people affected and be an active partner assisting you in the process of restoration.
Psalm 46:1-3 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
04 INSiGHT FEBRUARY 2022
