The Third Sunday in Advent

This is Gaudete (‘Rejoice’) Sunday where the third Advent Candle – pink in colour - is lit to celebrate the joy of relationship with God, each other, and the sacredness of creation. The scriptures today shout-out the promises of hope (from despair), restoration (from destruction), liberation (from oppression) and joy (from fear) giving all a reason to proudly wear the color pink and rejoice! During the Holocaust Jewish people had to wear the Star of David and gay people the pink triangle as trademarks of persecution and discrimination. I cannot speak for Jewish people, but what was a symbol of discrimination became a symbol of survival and pride, where in recent decades pink triangles have been visible worldwide during gay rights demonstrations. 

Second Sunday in Advent

Luke sets John's word context. As John was firmly placed in his context, the readings situate us in our world. The Good News came when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Tiberius Caesar had been Emperor fifteen years, Herod was tetrarch/ruler of a fourth of Galilee, and Caiaphas was high priest. And the Good News comes when world leaders met playing political roles in Glasgow for COP 26. In the past it was always thought that to know where God is in the world, we need to look to those in power and have power.

COP26 is now over and we all want to know what was achieved and where to from here for our beautiful Pacific region. Facilitated by ERC Director Phil Glendenning, this webinar was an opportunity to hear directly from a number of Pacific Islander COP26 delegates, including Mr Maina Talia (Tuvalu Climate Action Network), Ms Iemaima Vaai (Pacific Conference of Churches) and Mr Lavetanalagi Seru (Pacific Islands Climate Action Network), as well as lead Fiji COP26 Negotiator on loss and damage Ms Siobhan McDonnell.