Rather than retreat, members of the business community, organisations and churches in and around the city have been encouraged to be more neighbourly and assist the most vulnerable.
Dean of the St Michael’s Cathedral, Reverend Dr Jeffrey Gibson, made that suggestion today while delivering the sermon at the St. Michael’s Cathedral.
During his Rogation Celebration address, Gibson highlighted many of the interesting and vital landmarks and features in the City, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kensington Oval, and its commercial and recreational functions.
However, he said there were also negative elements that needed to be tackled.
“While we celebrate these things there are other things in the City that we see and probably don’t talk about. Some of the things are familiar to us, the homeless, drugs, prostitution, gambling, and crime just to mention a few. These are some of the unsavoury activities that are present in the nation as a whole but may be more intensely experienced in the setting of the city.
While he suggested it might be tempting to pass the buck, Gibson said it was important for the church and others to see themselves as neighbours.
“When we view ourselves as neighbours we are likely to be moved to offer help and to work to help alleviate the things that we don’t like to see and things that make us uncomfortable or bring fear.
“The intrigues are likely to push us to take action. We don’t simply retreat to the comfort of our homes and ask some agency to do something about the situation. Instead, we organise in community with others, draw on available resources and skills and commit to building more cohesive communities so that the vulnerable flourish. So that people who live in the City can also thrive to have an abundance of comfort,” he added. (BA)
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