…I was sick and you took care of me.” Matthew 25: 36 (NRSV)

Kristine Greenaway

Gazing at this display of military and media might, I felt overwhelmed, a bit like David in front of Goliath. I asked myself what we as religious communicators can do in response to such an array of orchestrated media coverage calling for war? How can we make our voices heard? We do not have megaphones as loud as those of CNN and BBC World.

But, on my return to Geneva, I was invited to lunch with UNICEF and UN AIDS representatives who were eager to hear from religious communicators about what local communities of faith are doing in response to another killer, HIV/AIDS. They weren’t interested in megaphones. They wanted to tune in to our “micro”phones in order to hear from local people who respond daily to the needs of those living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. And they want to share materials produced by UNAIDS and UNICEF that can be useful to those front line people.

Around that lunch table in Geneva were representatives from Franciscans International, the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, Lutheran World Federation, World YMCA, World YWCA, and the World Council of Churches. I found it exciting and encouraging that the two UN agencies’ representatives at the meeting have a specific mandate to link with faith groups. After so many attempts to catch the attention of the secular world and to convince them of what faith groups can do, they have heard us. The moment is now. Are we, as Christian communicators, ready to deliver?

Kristine Greenaway, a member of The United Church of Canada, is Special Advisor for Communication to the World Council of Churches in Geneva.