Micah Challenge Australia Blog

 

The Micah Challenge blog is a space for discussion and debate about the issues of global poverty, faith, advocacy and justice and the Millennium Development Goals. This blog aims to provoke thought and challenge you to learn more about the issues discussed. We welcome your comments.

Micah Challenge is a global campaign of Christians speaking out against poverty and injustice. Click here to visit the Micah Challenge website.

  • Looking Forward With Patience

    Posted by Jarrod

    25 May, 2012

    “Don’t start me on stories!” - Dr. Vincent Harding. In light of both the Government and Coalition’s failure to let their yes be yes to the global poor, I want to share two stories. One is from Martin Luther King Jr’s most provocative speech writer, fellow campaigner and close friend, Vincent Harding. The is other from someone through whom I often hear God speak to me, my son Tyson. Many will be familiar with The Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s five word phrase that seems to ring in the psyche of every campaigner for justice, “The fierce urgency of now”. These words appeared in the first book by Dr. King that I ever read, aptly titled “Why We Can’t Wait”. Dr. Vincent Harding is now in his eighties. I have heard my good friend Joanna Shenk (who has recently written a wonderful book featuring Dr. Harding) talk of Dr. Harding’s love of telling stories. Stories of struggle for freedom. Stories of Martin Luther King and their close friendship. Stories of how faith must mean following Jesus.… read more

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  • Joining together for and with the world's poor

    Posted by Paul

    30 April, 2012

    For years now Micah Challenge has been advocating for and with the global poor - to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and address some of the worst aspects of global poverty by 2015. One of the reasons I feel honoured to be chair of Micah Challenge Australia is the amazing progress we have seen. Just twenty years ago, more than twelve million children died every year from preventable causes. Last year, that number was fewer than eight million. An additional 40 million children each year have been able to receive a basic education since 2000. Of course, behind every statistic like this, there are countless local and personal stories of transformation and hope. Australian aid has played its part. Former Prime Minister Howard began the process, promising to double the aid budget, and Labor have built on that by promising to increase aid to 0.5% of Gross National Income. This is now a promise that both the ALP and the Liberal-National Coalition have made. I have been impressed, and sometimes amazed, at how responsive politicians have been to Micah… read more

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  • How lamentation turned me from apathy

    Posted by David

    28 February, 2012

    “God whispers to us in our pleasures... but shouts in our pain: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” - C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain. During the past week of PrayACT, we have dwelt on the importance of prayer as action. As our week of focused prayer for the MDGs comes to a close, I have been reflecting on the last prayer of Jesus as he hung on the cross:
 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34). This prayer was Jesus’ lamentation – the cry that prefaced the overthrow of sin forever. It was this act of lamentation that opened the way for God’s hope for a new humanity and God’s reign of justice in our world. Generations before this moment, the prophets too, lamented the actions of the people of Israel – a cry of grief at consistent injustice. God met these cries of injustice with the sending of Jesus. Emmanuel; God with us – justice to be embodied and displayed amongst us. Allow me to share a story from my own walk… read more

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  • What will Mr. Rudd's resignation mean for the poor?

    Posted by John

    23 February, 2012

    My answer to the question posed in the title of this blog is simple – I don’t know yet. The obvious reaction to Mr. Rudd’s announcement for us here in the Micah Challenge office is to get focused on what this will mean for the campaign. How should we respond? What strategies should we develop to ensure Australia’s commitments to the world's poorest people are maintained and strengthened? I was in that space this morning when I read something from a Pastor friend of mine who said this on Facebook: ‘"@twitter reveals the dysfunctional heart of Aussies in response to the crisis. A better response? Pray with me 4 @JuliaGillard & @KRuddMP" It was a timely reminder for me. The focus for Micah Challenge this week has been our PrayACT campaign. We have been encouraging people to focus on prayer as the primary action we should take as Christian advocates for the poor. No doubt we will also spend time over the coming days, weeks and months thinking about how we can best use our voices on behalf of the poor in this… read more

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