Rowley: Trust God, don't despair over global challenges

Trust in God, even though the world seems to be in despair over wars, the pandemic, poverty and the devastating effects of climate change.

This is the Prime Minister's message for Easter, as he encourages the population to not give in to doubt but to have hope, inspired by the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Dr Rowley spoke of the ongoing war in Ukraine, more than a month since it was invaded by Russia, and conflicts in the Middle East and Africa

"Some are asking how could a benign and caring God, watch from on high, at the current suffering during war in Ukraine, the ongoing conflicts in Syria, Myanmar, The Congo, Yemen, Palestine and the famine in east Africa in which millions of innocent lives are severely affected?," he said.

"They point to the expanding climate change crisis, and socio-economic inequities, worldwide, and the daily in-your-face issues of crime, domestic violence, food shortages and epidemics."

He also spoke of the thinking among many that places science over faith.

"With the breakthroughs in 21st century science, they say that humans are developing new skills and capabilities, from which there is confidence that they could change the nature and speed of events.

"As such some think that there is no room for God in our daily lives, and, for them, the belief in an Almighty has been just fiction. Their questions, their arguments abound. What then is the reality? Science continues to evolve, speaking not of absolutes, but of “evidence of probability”, because every breakthrough confronts another mystery of the universe."

This, Rowley said, has led to a "Great Divide of belief in a living God, and alternatively people living lives in which God is absent."

Without direct reference to rececnt incidents locally, the Prime Minister to without God people will "fall by the wayside of life, slipping into a life of compounding fears, mistrust, frustration, despair, depression, violence, suicide and being trapped in an existence of permanent dissatisfaction."

This is why people must turn to the "common messages" of all religions, noting Muslims are observing Ramadan and Christians celebrate Easter

"Citizens, to truly live a fulfilling and meaningful life we must turn to the messages common to all religions, that of love, hope, compassion and forgiveness, which is what the Christian community is renewing at this time.

"This requires an acknowledgement that man is just another species, one in search of meaning, and in his search, he will confront the mysteries of God, and a true meaningful life will depend always on our interconnectivity with God," he said.