Praying and listening for the voice of God in a time of strike

Dear Friends

Please read this out at all services in all parishes in the Diocese of Johannesburg on Sunday 17 June

Issued by the Dean of Saint Mary's Anglican Cathedral on behalf of the Management Team of the Diocese of Johannesburg

As the leadership of the diocese of Johannesburg, and acknowledging that we are all part of Christ's family, we give thanks to God that we live in a democracy. This democracy entitles labour to rights, including the right to strike. In principal we support the current strike.

We are grateful to God for those who offer their life's work in essential services, whether as educators, medical, safety and security personnel, or as those with administrative responsibilities in our civil service, such as clerks, or cleaning and service personnel. We are concerned about the great discrepancies between the increases being granted to those in government and those being sought by labour. God is concerned both with Justice and Compassion. We, therefore, pray that during this strike there may be real leadership, true listening and a real addressing of grievances. 

We have both representatives of government and government employees in the church, and we are all affected by the strike. We are called to live a common life together, a life of respect for both human dignity, and human rights, as embodied in our nations Constitution. As such we find violent action, including intimidation to be unacceptable and harmful to our common life. We call on strikers to allow free access to hospitals to those in need of urgent medical attention, as part of a basic human right. Anger is understood, but there needs to be appropriate channeling and expression of that anger so that it doesn't lead to violent conflict. We therefore pray for all picketers, marshals, marchers, and government officials tasked with responding to them.

We ask that churches be open as safe places in which scholars can gather, and that all engaged in outreach programmes use their skills to help those in need of home based care.

Through all the complexity of the current strike, and the negotiations taking place we pray for an outcome that will be just, fair, and reflect God's love and mercy.

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