Never again must young people beg us adults to care for creation

Never, never and never again must young people beg us adults to care for creation.

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba addressed the over 2000 Taize pilgrims at the closing Evening Prayer of the Pilgrimage of Trust in Cape Town

Please, young people, don’t wait for the rest of us. Show us the way as you Please, young people, don’t wait for the rest of us. Show us the way as you have  always done. Show us what unity in action means. Show us what hope means. Show us what just economic relationships mean. Show us the hope means. Show us what just economic relationships mean. Show us the way on climate justice. Show us that there is no Planet B.   Show us that the poor will suffer most when water levels rise. Show us that serving how us that serving  Mammon will only lead to our destruction and that we should speak out on behalf of the trees and the birds and the animals.  Ecological destruction is all around us and if we are not careful, we will soon not have enough fish all around us and clean air and clean water. Help us to defend and preserve this.  

When Nelson Mandela  was inaugurated as our president, he declared that ““never, never never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.” ”

Never, never and never again must our disunity be a stumbling block

Never, never and never again should we suffer corruption and the abuse of power in Africa or elsewhere; ;

Never, never and never again must one person think of him or herself as more important than others; as more important than others;

Never, never and never again must young people beg us adults to care for creation.

Always live the joy and the hope that Christ has planted in your hearts

And let me conclude with a prayer  adapted from Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu:

God bless our world

Protect our children

Transform our leaders

Heal our communities

Restore our dignity

And give us peace

For Jesus Christ’s sake,

Amen.