On Sunday evening the 7th December I spoke at my old church from my University of Cape Town days, Christ Church in Kenilworth, Cape Town, on the topic “Remaining faithful in a situation of crisis and hopelessnessâ€.
I was asked to speak by Christ Church’s Minister-in-charge Duncan McLea in the context of the terrible suffering being endured by so many Zimbabweans at this time. This suffering comes in the wake of what I call the “perfect humanitarian storm†– the unique and unprecedented convergence of Aids, poverty, malnutrition, a regime that doesn’t care and which deliberately underplays the seriousness of the situation, and – now on top of it all – cholera.
What is the role of the church and people of faith in this situation? That is what I sought to address.
The following verses in 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 formed the basis of the sermon:
“Nevertheless, each one of you should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. Each one should remain in the situation he was in when God called him. Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let that trouble you – although if you gain your freedom, do so. For he who was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave. You were brought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Brothers, each man, as responsible to God should remain in the situation God called him to.â€
Christ Church has recorded the sermon which is posted on its web site at the following link:
Senator David Coltart
Bulawayo
11th December 2008