I’m a talkative person who likes cooking so in my second year of uni, I decided it would be a really great idea to do a sponsored silence and fast for 24 hours.
The experience was a difficult one, as friends tempted me with delicious desserts and randomly asked questions so that my challenge might falter. Of course they didn’t really want me to fail; they just thought it would be fun to make everything a little bit more difficult!
There were two main motives for my fundraiser. The first was personal because I knew friends would sponsor me to be silent and hungry for a day. However the second reason was because I knew that so many people in the world are hungry every day. And so often, they can’t use their voice to stand up for themselves because their rights are stifled. I was trying to empathise; to stand in solidarity with those around the world that don’t have the freedom that we do. I was choosing to sacrifice my privileges for a day and stand in partnership with others. It was a difficult day where I was taken out of my comfort zone and challenged to see another’s perspective.
As Christians we’re called to stand as one body; partnership and solidarity are biblical: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15. Often that means empathising with others, but sometimes it also means standing together.
Usually we can’t understand what it’s like to live in extreme poverty because our lives are just so different. We can support, but often we don’t know what the answers are. The problem just seems too big. But ending poverty isn’t a job for one person or even the work of one organisation. It requires us to work together. Christian Aid works in 58 countries, but alongside small charities in those places because working in partnership makes a bigger difference with local knowledge and skills. And even when we can’t understand, we can still support.
Christian Aid Week has been running since 1957 and it’s a week to give, act and pray about injustice. This year between 12-18 May we’re joining with those who have supported before us and with those we’re supporting across the globe. It’s a week where we can make a difference by joining together as people who are passionate about creating change. It might be something small or it could be something huge. The scale of the action isn’t important, but our attitude is. Dedicating time to join in partnership and solidarity to strive towards ending poverty; there’s always something we can do to stand together.
