Ending COVID For All
This season of COVID-19 has shown us all how connected and vulnerable we truly are as human beings.
We have witnessed firsthand that the world is biologically connected; that infection anywhere is a threat to infection everywhere.
This crisis is not going to end for anyone, until it ends for everyone.
And while Australia starts to breathe a small sigh of relief, and experience the easing of some restrictions, many of our neighbours are only just beginning to experience the worst of this pandemic.
As I write this, Brazil has now well over 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases, second only to the United States and growing every day. In nations like India and Pakistan people suffering from coronavirus are turned away from hospitals - health systems are on the verge of collapse. There are over one million refugees in Cox’s Baazar Bangladesh, with little hope of sanitation or physical distancing.
New modelling by the world bank shows 71 million people are likely to be pushed into extreme poverty due to this crisis.
This global experience of suffering has led Micah Australia to launch a new campaign called #EndCOVIDForAll.
We are aiming to create a surge of Australians, showing solidarity for our global neighbours who are ill-equipped to deal with this COVID crisis.
Where Australia can, we want to pass on the lessons we’ve learned, our resources and our generosity, and we are asking the government to play a key role in this.
I was reminded this week of Acts 15 – The Council in Jerusalem – when Paul puts forward the case of the Gentiles to the Jewish Christian leaders in Jerusalem.
They agree with his case, but they ask two things which Paul later recounts in Galatians, the first being ‘Remember the Poor.’
That’s what Christian faith is about - it remembers those the powerful may forget.
It remembers brothers and sisters in Africa, in South Asia, in South America, in those nations with fragile health systems and asks, ‘what can we do?’, ‘how can we keep them in our hearts?’.
We pray and believe that this campaign will be small step towards remembering them at this time.
We’ve had to shut ourselves in during this season, we’ve had to shut our nation’s borders but that doesn’t mean we have to shut our hearts and compassion.
And as Australians show they care; this will encourage the Australian government to provide vital support to vulnerable nations.
I encourage you to remember that the church does not exist just for self-maintenance. We exist for the benefit of the poor, the marginalised and the vulnerable. The task of ‘Ending COVID for all’ will take every sector working together and, will need the collective Church raising their voice and casting their vision beyond our shores.
Our challenge as always, is while we still face obstacles at home, we must remember those for whom this crisis has only just begun.
To find out more about the campaign and to pledge your support go to: endcovidforall.com
Rev Tim Costello is one of Australia’s best-known community leaders and a sought after voice on social justice issues, leadership and ethics.
Tim is the Executive Director of Micah Australia and in this role, has a strong vision to gather, inspire and empower Australian Christians to share God’s heart for justice. He is passionate about seeing the church in Australia be known for justice, mercy and humility.
In earlier roles Tim was National President of the Baptist Union of Australia and Mayor of St Kilda. He has been Baptist Minister at St Kilda Baptist and Collins Street Baptist in Melbourne, as well as Executive Director of Urban Seed and Chief Executive of World Vision Australia.
