Spirited Reflection: KAIROS in 2018
As we live into the early days of 2018, we know that these are perilous times that challenge us to risk speaking truth to power. They call us to be more determined than ever to be alert to opportunities for people of faith to engage in life with courage and hope.
These times also invite us to be grateful for the passion, energy, commitment and endurance of the leadership from the fearless staff at KAIROS; the guidance of the Steering Committee, informed by the hard-earned wisdom of earlier generations of justice-seekers; and the many dedicated groups across our country who labour tirelessly in their regions as they engage with the work of KAIROS.
This KAIROS community has the capacity to work collaboratively with partners from north, south, east and west who share a common desire to create a world where justice and peace can flourish. We believe that in these times we can make real progress in changing unjust and unsustainable practices.
Confronted with so many needs, we are called to nothing less than a total giving of ourselves to build a world where all are loved, where hearts are touched in ways that that are life-sustaining for individuals and for our planet.
As we live into this New Year, let us ponder the possibilities for a world where all are welcome. May we know abundant blessings on our efforts to live our beliefs with integrity, generosity and love that call us beyond our comfort zones.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have served as Chair of the KAIROS Steering Committee in 2017. I was enriched by the contribution of all the member Churches and organizations who keep the mission of KAIROS alive:
KAIROS unites Canadian churches and religious organizations in a faithful ecumenical response to the call to “do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with (our) God” (Micah 6:8).
Informed by biblical teaching, KAIROS deliberates on issues of common concern, striving to be a prophetic voice in the public sphere.
Inspired by a vision of God’s compassionate justice, KAIROS advocates for social change, amplifying and strengthening the public witness of its members.
Responding to Christ by engaging in social transformation, KAIROS empowers the people of God, and is empowered by them, to live out our faith in action for justice and peace, joining with those of goodwill in Canada and around the world.
(Excerpt from the KAIROS Mission Statement)
KAIROS is grateful for the leadership of Fay Edmonds, gsic, as the outgoing Chair of the KAIROS Steering Committee for 2017; and also as the Canadian Religious Conference Representative on the Steering Committee since 2014. She is currently a member of the leadership team in her Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception community. We are very grateful for her contribution, dedication and willingness to continue with the Steering Committee and in the mission of KAIROS.
