Living Faithfully in the Midst of Empire

The 37th General Council 2000 of The United Church of Canada approved the report To Seek Justice and Resist Evil: Towards a Global Economy for All God’s People. The report described, analyzed, and denounced “the global reality of systemic economic injustice” (neo-liberal economic globalization) and called the church “to seek justice and resist evil so that together in mission we can build a global economy for all God’s people.” It was both critical of the global economic status quo and its exclusionary tendencies, and filled with hope for the fulfillment of God’s promise of justice for all people and creation.

Tragically, in this world of extraordinary abundance and potential, the pain and misery experienced by the vast majority of God's people is worsening. Year after year reports by major global institutions, like UNICEF1 and the United Nations Development Programme,2 tell dreadful statistical tales of growing poverty, rising rates of mortality, and escalating environmental destruction. One of the most alarming barometers of this deepening crisis is UNICEF's annual report on the state of the world's children. In announcing the 2005 report3 David Agnew, president and CEO of UNICEF Canada, made these sobering comments: