|
| Dr. Robert Orr |
| "I am proud of this church for what it stands for, and I am a proud member of this family, but we can do more." |
MIDDLETOWN (10/25/2010) -- "Let's save God's creation," urged the United Nations' Robert Orr, speaking to the 143rd Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Conference UCC. "I'm preaching to the choir, but the choir has to sing louder, and the choir has to get more daring.
"You actually gotta sway, you gotta get out of the pews, you've got to walk through the aisles, you've got to get out in the streets, and I don't mean that metaphorically. This is serious. The planet is in crisis."
Dr. Orr, the Assistant Secretary-General for Planning and Policy Coordination in the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General, addressed over 400 United Church of Christ ministers and delegates attending the Fall Session of the Annual Meeting at Middletown High School. In his presentation, he emphasized the monumental progress made in alleviating poverty and reducing war around the world, and turned the spotlight on the continuing significant challenges that still address the planet's population.
"It is an important exercise to look to the horizon," Orr said, commending the Conference theme looking back at 200 years of overseas mission, and forward another 200 years, "because all too often we get caught up in the difficulties of our world on any given day, and it is disempowering."
"This year as we brought leaders together we could say with a straight face, 'We can end poverty.'" The United Nations has developed effective strategies to deal with extreme poverty as part of its Millenium Goals, and has brought them to bear at the points of deepest need. UNICEF studies have demonstrated that concentrating efforts on the greatest problem areas is the most effective method as well as the most moral.
|
"We are privileged to be able to say that the poor will not always have to be with us," Orr declared.
A fundamental requirement for the end of poverty is the creation of peace. Orr noted the significant progress over the last twenty years in the number of people living in war or its immediate aftermath: that number is going steadily down. In great part the reason for this is the United Nations, and the support for it lifted up by mainline Christians for its work in the United States.
"I'm not going to say we're going to eradicate war -- I'm not going to be that bold -- but I think if we could keep driving down the number of people subject to war we could actually see it become a non-useful instrument."
Orr issued a strong warning about climate change. "We have a big, big problem coming, and that's already here, even if we stop today." He looks to people of faith, for whom God's creation is a precious, highly valued gift, to bring a new perspective to the problem. Those who see the world as God's care for it differently, he said.
Orr expressed concern as well over the growth of intolerance in many places in the world, including Islamophobia in many places in the world. He urged continued education about other faiths and cultures in the churches and other houses of worship. "With a good heart and good intention, so much can be overcome."
To address these problems, including the sword of Damocles of nuclear weapons, said Orr, it is necessary to mobilize the full human resources of the planet, which means lifting up the education and leadership of women. The influence of female leaders at the UN has been profound, he noted, and very exciting.
"I am proud of this church and what it has done on all these issues. I am proud of this church for what it stands for, and I am a proud member of this family, but we can do more."
|
| Dr. Orr on the Middletown High School stage |
