Daily Reading: 11 March

(from www.christianaid.org.uk)

Preserving lives. 

Something to read

Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come closer to me." And they came closer. He said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life."

- Genesis 45:4-5.

Something to think about

The passage in Genesis gives an account of Joseph, and how he is reunited with his family! Out of jealousy, several years before, they had sold him out to the Egyptians, but God used this opportunity to save the world. In verse 4 he says, 'I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.' 

God had prepared him to scheme a plan to save mankind from the famine that was ravaging the world.

In Jeremiah 2:4-13, Jeremiah reminds the Israelites how their forefathers defiled the land he gave to them. Verse 7 God says 'I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things. But when you entered you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination.' As a result, God punished the people.

Today, we face the impact of mankind’s destruction on nature! Because of our selfish desires, we have destroyed that which God has given us and the impact of climate change can be felt around the world.

No one is spared. In a recent assessment done by Christian Aid, it was found that US citizens each produce as much carbon emissions as 581 people in the East African Republic of Burundi. The assessment highlights the unbalanced impact of climate change on global food security.

Nations like Burundi, the Congo and Madagascar are being hit with the hardest impacts despite being the least responsible for causing climate change.

This year alone, hundreds of lives were lost to floods, landslides and hailstorms in Burundi. Hundreds of families were displaced and are living in makeshift homes. Burundi’s food security is highly impacted as result of climate change-related disasters every year!

Like Joseph, we have been sent in to preserve lives, it is an opportunity to raise our voice against these ills and seek justice for such countries that produce minimal carbon emissions but are impacted highly. It is for such time as this, that we have been called!

Something to do

Sign the latest loss and damage petition.

Something to pray

• Leaders at this year's UN climate talks in Cairo will move fast to make changes in how we deal with climate change.
• Like Joseph, God may give us wisdom to come up with a clear strategy to preserve lives in countries like Burundi.
• Families that have been impacted by climate change effects, to find solace and refuge in God.

Today's contributor is Philip Mato Galgallo. Philip is a Kenyan serving Burundi as Christian Aid Country Director and passionate about Christian Aid’s vision of eradicating poverty.