Discerning the signs of our time is the urgent task in the context in which we are placed in and, an essential characteristic of Christian witness. Therefore, I would like to draw your attention to some important social issues which need an analytical approach and fair sightedness if we are to be a prophetic and a relevant Church in our times. The urgent and the most pressing issues of responding to the national situation have already been dealt at length in my biblical reflections. Another issue of major consequence to us as a nation is the issue of climate change and our stewardship to our creation.

The community of God is part and parcel of the creation of God with a mandated discipleship to care for the whole creation of God. The whole creation groans in labour, pain with ourselves to be set free from it’s bondage to decay (Rom. 8 :19 & 20) says the word of God. It is a sign that we have  miserably failed in our stewardship to care, nurture and protect our Mother earth.

The melting ice threatens to enlarge the territory of the waters and it is our island that will be  gradually  swallowed up. The polluted air rhythms in the unending cough of our own children specially in the centers, the excessive use of artificial fertilizers for temporary monetary gains is reflected in the increase in kidney failures. The list is endless. Finally it affects you and me. Let us not wait  complacently so that we are forced to be involved in another Relief and Rehabilitation work related to a major natural disaster.

Can we begin with small efforts. Can we recycle paper? Can we use reusable bags?  Can we avoid polythene?  Can we reduce the use of Air Conditioners by  50% at least? Can we walk instead of getting into our own vehicles each and every time? Can we reduce artificial  fertilizers? Can we reduce unhealthy food habits? Can we grow more trees?  These are small beginnings with great consequences leading  to a reorienting and ……….. of our life styles, values and redefining our perspectives on development and prosperity.

This is another instance where, if the Church fails in it’s task to discern the signs of our time, we will once again, fail in our prophetic task. The challenge of the climate change is not one that which can be ignored specially by those of us who live in a small island like SRI LANKA. Let us be the prophetic voice involved in advocacy and constructive action  to prevent the damage that looms before us.  Let us be agents for climatic justice now.

The other issue that I would like to place before this Conference  for serious consideration is the issue of debt, an invisible monster that is squeezing the throat of many thousands in our own country.  They live through a   nightmare of settling debts for the monies borrowed to meet the basic ordinary  needs of life,  such as food, clothing, shelter and education.  These are not huge loans taken for real estate development  or business purposes. Pawned jewelry, debit notes to the neighboring boutiques, and the breaking down of trust among friends and neighbours due to the inability to repay the few hundreds of rupees borrowed is  the order of the day.   Loans  taken for agriculture cultivation is another  starring reality among Farmers. This affects primarily the poor in the rural sector.  (Many middle class people are in the same plight through the credit cards they have – a dignified way of obtaining loans). I am convinced that nearly 65% of our church workers live with this demonic reality staring at their face. The Church has to address this issue if we are to keep alive the jubilee mandate which   is at the  core of  the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and be relevant to the challenges  faced by many of the poor in the rural sector and specially the farming community.

On the other hand, considering International debt  we need to question the moral basis on which large amounts   of aid  given to a developing nations like Sri Lanka,  which are actually  loans of a monstronous nature.   A lot of discussions invade our corridors in relation to the IMF loan of 2.4 billion dollars. Unfortunately, they are clouded with political overtures.  Countries like    Sri Lanka, whose wealth have been plundered for more than 4-1/2 centuries by various colonial powers, has to grapple with some of the  more fundamental questions like “who really owes to whom”. The following illustrations enable us to see the hash reality of the so called International  Aid or loans that we hjave to repay.

“In the early years, following the arrival of the Europeans in South America, many people came to our countries. When they left, they would take things with them. At first, they came and took gold. Then they came and took silver……Between the years 1503 and 1660 they had taken 185,000 kg of gold and about 16,000,000 kg of silver. Since these visitors were good Christians, we knew that they did not steal these treasures, so they must have borrowed them.  As we calculate what should be repaid,  we don’t want to be harsh (as we are also good Christians), so we will not charge 30 or 40% interest…. Only 10%.  So at 10% interest over 300 years with a 40 year grace period, we can calculate that the weight of the North’s gold and silver debt to South America would weigh more than the weight of the earth.” This really makes one ask, who owes whom?  It is no wonder that the call  of Jubilee South is …DON’T  OWE, WON’T PAY!” Do we Srilankans  really owe?  Is this 2.4 billion a loan or do we consider it as the repayment of the resources plundered from us  by the West.  Let us  remember that  the way we define economic relationships finally affects our own .

We,  as a Church,  however small may be,  should address such crucial issues which  finally affect the lives of simple, ordinary citizens of our country specially   the poor rural peasants..

Another concern for the future Church is the care and concern extended to the Elderly. The Sri Lankan population is considered a rapidly ageing population and the projected estimate reveals that by the year 2011, the number of Elders (more than over 60) will increase to 2.7 million or 13% of the population and it is estimated that by the year 2050, 50% of our population will be over 50 years of age. It is also estimated that nearly 48.3% of the Elders are supported by their children and 8.7% have no stable means of support. This would change the   nature of families rapidly. Are we ready to meet this challenge?  Our care for the Elderly  has to go far beyond than merely  running Elder’s Homes.  We need to have creative and alternative programmes to extend care and fellowship to them. The greater challenge will be how we can make productive use of their experiences,  wisdom ability and strength for the Church as well as the nation.