Seraphim
Orthodox Archbishop, Patriarchy of Alexandria
  

Globalization is a phenomenon which inexorably links people across the

world and offers us great opportunities to show a united front and transmit information which demonstrates that we recognize the plurality of the dynamic cultures and traditions from which we emanate.

We all confess One God and Father and one Faith and are yet at times seemingly divided by political and ethical issues. There is a need to restore the sovereignty of God and diakonia and create new networks of inter-religious cooperation as we utilize expertise from the socio-economic, political and scientific walks of life.

We are all accountable when injustice occurs against fellow human-beings. Ethical issues need to be addressed when people become victims of globalization and this is especially when we need to stand firmly together and encourage vigorous debate and dialogue with those in the corridors of power, whether they be in multi-national corporations, governments or financial institutions.

The nature of Globalization needs to be more carefully analyzed as does our role in questioning the logic of global markets. In this regard we must fully support governments which are truly concerned about the plight of the masses and induce all groups which are in opposition to the excesses of Globalization to present a united front to injustice in all its forms and guises.

We need to explore new avenues as we collaborate more closely in serving humanity and must recognize each other as communities of Faith serving Jesus Christ and face head-on issues which divide and create disunity in the Body of Christ. God creates a unity amongst us as He calls us to proclaim His Word as we share His Gospel. We are all a community of Christ�s disciples and are servants of humanity that guide our flock to mystical union with God. We are called to proclaim the life-giving News of Jesus Christ. We proclaim this News through preaching (kerygma), service (diakonia), liturgy (Leiturgua), teaching (didaskalia) and witness (martyria) and especially through fellowship in His name (koinonia). We all spread the News of new life in Christ Jesus and we are obliged to stand by those who are excluded and despised in societies across the globe.

We need to reaffirm a common standpoint and witness and obey the commands of Jesus and wash each others� feet as Our Lord washed the feet of His Apostles.

Globalization is clearly evident in the new world of information technology and this can lead us to new paths of inter-religious interaction and dialogue and presents us with new opportunities to communicate God�s Word to humanity in innovative and creative ways that are challenging. Success can only be ours if we present a united front in a world that is torn apart by ethnicity and a myriad of religious groups. Groups that feel isolated and marginalized and those who are bent on fundamentalism will undoubtedly manipulate their environment and it is our duty to respond to their cries.

Globalization as such challenges the mission of the Church as we strive to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the world. The Churches by their very mission and by their nature are involved socially in the world and operate in many different milieus. We are faced with great challenges as we use dialogue to re-evaluate our relationship with our neighbours and seek strong mutual co-operation, harmony and amelioration. Together we must join hands in all the struggles that exist and offer strong resistance to anything that minimizes human life and takes away human dignity.

We must strive to be God�s people in the totality of God�s creation and do so in a spirit of Christian brotherhood and love. We must increase our love and desire for mutual understanding and co-operation.

We as Christians have power to either liberate or enslave our fellow human beings and must therefore tread carefully so as not to offend the human dignity of people, but rather bring wholeness into the lives of all people. We must also not neglect the world�s religions, but also learn from these and understand how to inspire people to serve Christ.

As we strive to learn more about each other in the global village, we will be able to build new bridges of unity that will bridge religious chasms. We need to be ever vigilant as well as very concerned about emerging cultures that are the result of globalisation, and that promote the idea that all that matters in life is wealth and power at all costs, irrespective of how much we environmentally degrade our planet.

We must proclaim that the Triune God heals and makes whole, while society with its many different factions and groupings makes the masses poorer and renders them incapable of standing up against evil forces in the modern day world. Our work must heal communities in all places and bear witness to the fundamental truth that the Gospel of Jesus Christ heals and renews and provides true justice, while yet affirming life whether in insular communities or in cosmopolitan metropolitan areas.

Globalisation therefore by its linkages, offers us unique opportunities to share knowledge and ideas and enables us to share physical resources. It also allows us to communicate with people from diverse cultures and as such globalisation provides us with excellent opportunities for social development. We still need to learn how to best use globalisation to assist us as we interact in society and with each other.

Globalisation by its very nature creates two worlds, one where the rich become richer and another where the poor become poorer. This increasing divide is a serious challenge to the work of the Church.

Globalisation also promotes a singular world culture and this is highly detrimental, as many indigenous cultures are ignored and become increasingly marginalized. This is an unsatisfactory state of affairs.

While globalization with its rapid technological developments especially in the fields of communication and also in the area of economics has huge potential to encourage nations and religions to interact in exciting new ways, it has also the devastating effect of further dividing cultures and religions.

In today�s world if there is an economic crises in New York it is felt in London, Paris, Rome and Johannesburg. If there is a major climatic change that too is felt on a global scale. Trade in the world is more global than ever before as goods cross borders on a continual basis. In terms of mobility, some people can only move from place to place by foot as in most of Africa, while at the other end of the scale people can be in Milan now and in New Zealand in about 11 hours. Everything is moving at a faster pace and this creates immense ethical dilemmas. This is because in order for peoples� behaviours to change and for their value systems to be adequately modified, generations may lapse. Added to this people become confused as more people stream across borders they invariably encounter value systems which differ considerably from their own.

We in the Church must realize that the globalized world creates opportunities as well as problems and must wisely use the opportunities to assist in pro-actively eliminating problems before they occur.

The problems such as more confusion, political instability, environmental degradation, far less solidarity and an ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor creates huge global instability. It is our duty as servants of the Most High to meet these challenges and try to counter their effects in a spirit of universal Christian brotherhood.

We need to support the idea of social security systems where most people are simply left �on the side of the road�. Let us become the �good Samaritans�, taking into consideration the Truth that no part of our lives can be excluded from our responsibility to our Heavenly Father. Let us use globalisation to promote the Truth.

Referring in general to the responsibilities of Christians in the universal society, I would like to suggest that the responsibilities of every religious person in the society in which we live today are huge and important and consequently Christian.

These responsibilities are associated with the position of our life, firstly, in our immediate environment as is the family, school, university, our place of work, our participation in local social and cultural functions. Through our presence in the local community we influence our fellow man and we in turn are influenced by them. According to the degree to which we are prepared and consistent with our religious principles, so much more positive de we become towards a better and more human local society.

If Christians want to be consistent with the orders of the Holy Scriptures they ought to feel responsible for whichever problems their local community is facing. The responsibility of Christians should not be limited only to an avoidance of the creation of problems, but also in their strong participation in the confrontation and best possible solution of the problems being faced in their local society. Tolerance for existing problems on behalf of Christians based on the word of the Gospel is participation.

The sensitivity and the anxiety which a Christian feels for his local community must be a preparation and sensitivity for his participation in the facing of the social problems of his country. In this way, a Christian�s responsibilities, apart from his limited local society, should be extended to the broader society of his country.

The Christian�s interest on a national level in the problems of his country prepares him to realize his responsibilities for his neighbouring countries too and thereafter for the entire global society.

Consequently, when we refer to the responsibilities of Christians in the global society today, we understand that this depends on our responsible and consistent attitude in our daily life. Our success in familial, occupational, social and political areas presupposes our presence in the broader social arena.

The presence of Christians in a global society can occur in many ways. It can occur through the recording in a book of the problems being faced by mankind and proposals for new methods of dealing with them and for solutions. It can also occur through his participation in International Organisations and in other Non-Governmental Organisations which could contribute to the issues of the peaceful co-existence of nations.

However, although there are many Christians, millions of people who wish to work for the peace of the world, the agents who would be able to coordinate such an effort are absent from global society. The divisions between Christians also weaken the effectiveness of their common actions. Many are the times when the Leaders of the Christians, especially the Church leaders, realize their differences when they are present at meetings rather than their agreements. Our distance from the common will of God, which is salvation for all people, isolates us in the vindication and imposition of our personal will as a form of egoism which is related to the maintenance of sick selfish advantages against the advantages of all others.

Today, when we refer to the relations between Eastern and Western Churches, especially to their differences, we do not mean the geographical area as in the past, but the different doctrinal approach of Christians who may even live in the same geographical area. Their different doctrines, also leads to different moral approaches to basic issues of life. There is a distance between Christians. The success of dialogue between the Christian Churches for unity will bring Christians together to change the world. This dialogue is continuing very slowly and without the participation of the people.

I am not sure if the responsibility for the obstacles in the dialogue for unity of the Churches belongs to their leaders or to their representatives who are part of the dialogue. What we all know is that all Christians have as their foundation the person of Christ and Holy Scripture. Consequently, someone could tell us that our failure to be together for common action in the confrontation of the problems which mankind is facing, is a result of our failure to respond with a sense of responsibility to the commandments of Christ and to live the orders in Holy Scripture.

The cooperation of the Christians of the Eastern and Western Churches depends on the successful outcome of the ecclesiastical dialogue between our Churches. Apart from our prayers for a successful outcome of the ecclesiastical dialogue, as responsible people who are concerned for our future, we ought to question ourselves also about the structure of this ecclesiastical dialogue. Without doubting the good intentions of the Leaders of our Churches for, or of those who are participating in this dialogue, for Christian unity, we ought also to express our concerns for the slow pace in which the dialogue is occurring, or even to wonder responsibly why it is not progressing favourably and ask what can be done to help us to work beneficially for global society.

We all know that, apart from a few exceptions, the governments of the major countries are isolated in the protection of their financial, military and political advantages. The human rights of the nations are very often ignored.

This indifference for the rights of the nations leads to the creation of violence and terrorism and insecurity which in turn creates enormous problems for innocent citizens. Cooperation and dialogue between the Church and the State for the solution of these problems, is important and valuable. Only in this way will we be able to mutually confront current problems in our society. The dialogue which is taking place in the Community of St Edigio contributes to this direction. For this reason we congratulate the organizers of this conference, praying that the messages of the meetings will influence the centres of decision-making on our planet so that we may hope for a better peaceful world.

However, in order to reach an effective dialogue between religions and governments, a dialogue of cooperation between Christians and between faiths must precede it. The community of St Edigio is again considerably contributing with God�s help to this end.