Session 2: Fasting and Prayer (Isaiah 58:6)

On Wednesday 20/2/08 we looked at Isaiah 58:6 where the writer challenges the reader to consider part of the fruit of fasting namely that the “bonds of injustice would be broken and that the oppressed would be set free”. I said that the Trinitarian God we worship is a God of justice and just as He is passionate about His love for us He is passionate about those held in oppression or held captive. I also discussed the work of Christian Solidarity Worldwide and their work in helping persecuted Christians around the world and cited the example of Helen Berhane imprisoned for her Christian faith, who was so badly tortured in prison she has difficulty in walking.

In our world there are many things which can cause oppression in the lives of all people not just those who are persecuted for their faith. Oppression can come in the form of things in our lives that weigh us down, it could be the things we see missing from or lives that we desperately crave for, or it could be the burden of things in our lives that we desperately want to get rid of.

Jesus came to break oppression as He quotes from the book of Isaiah in Luke 4:18 that He was sent “to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free”. Hence my questions to the group at the lent course evening were based around the idea of what possibly are the bonds of injustice in Chislehurst and what could we as Churches 2gether in Chislehurst do about it!

Below are some of the questions I asked and then some of the answers from the groups.

If Isaiah were here with us today what would you tell him were the bonds of injustice and oppressions holding back people in their faith in Chislehurst today?

• · The rich seem to get richer and the poor seem to get poorer
• · Little if any first time housing
• · Financial pressure to aspire ever higher
• · Expectation to be at Church meetings
• · Work Life balance and 24/7 nature of work
• · Sunday opening
• · Youth are not valued
• · Time spent by people watching TV and surfing the internet
• · Break down of relationships
• · Sporting activities for children on Sundays

What can we do 2gether to help break the yoke of oppression for people in our local and global community?

• · Recognising culture as it is, serving in after schools clubs, café church, lunchtime worship etc
• · Support families in crisis
• · Pray for a safer neighbourhood, for the Police and CSO’s
• · Link with organisations supporting people
• · Get to know your neighbour
• · More youth work, street pastors
• · Support the persecuted and oppressed
• · Write to MPs
• · Courses on parenting and finance
• · Support Missionaries and Missions