“A world of fortresses will be poorer, more fragile and less sustainable.”
It was acclaimed as the most important foreign policy speech in years. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney chose to speak with unusual candour in his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos this year.
“We knew the story of the international rules-based order was partially false” he said, “that the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient.”
He called out what the global south has always known – that the fairness of that order was a collective illusion, and that it has always been weaponised against the powerless. We now live in a world where superpowers exert military might and economic coercion with flagrant indifference. Whatever illusion we shared, it is now shattered. Carney called on ‘middle power’ nations to build something better, an order grounded in human rights, solidarity, and the dignity of every nation. I look forward to how Australia might step up to this invitation.
But as Christ-followers we do not put our faith in empires. Even well-meaning ones. The value of each human life, the duty of the strong to care for the weak, to love without condition – these are Jesus’ teachings. Are we ready to hold to them, even when the world seems to be forgetting?
Whenever I meet with our church partners and supporters, I find my answer. Whether among old friends or new partners, in the wealthiest cities here at home or the poorest communities of India, Timor-Leste or the Pacific, sitting on mats under trees, or in cafes, the word that rings true is family. Even when I visit for the first time, it always feels like coming home. The spirit of God is always there, always weaving us together, gently urging our hearts to act with love and justice.
We don’t build fortresses, we build tables to gather around. Not an alliance for power, but a living community of people, across cultures, languages and oceans. People who choose each other, who keep showing up, who believe, as Jesus told us, that how we treat the most vulnerable among us is the truest measure of who we are in Christ.
You and I are part of this family, a taste of the kin-dom that Jesus proclaimed was at hand. So the question we face is this: can we hold onto hope and each other, and keep loving with courage and generosity?
Thanks for being with us.