COMMUNITY: GLOBAL GOALS 7-12
In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”. But millions of people worldwide are denied the opportunity to know fullness of life because of poverty and social injustice.
The aspirations captured in SDGs 7-12 can be summarised by a few key terms:
- Viable
- Resilient
- Responsible
- Productive
- Inclusive
- Partnership
- Sustainable
- Stewardship
- Safe
- Innovative
- Affordable
- Equality
Jesus himself declared that He came that we may have life in all its fullness (John 10:10). This complete fullness or wholeness or Shalom as it is often called, can be seen in this table.
- Essential needs met
- Healing
- Service and sharing
- Safety and security
- Reconciliation
- Integrity
- Peace
- Blessed to bless
- Creativity
- Liberation
- Justice
- Unity
PERSPECTIVES MATTER
How we understand our salvation is key to how we engage with our community. The invitation to become a Christian is often worded as “invite Jesus into your life”. Whilst this is an important step in our faith journey, another way of perceiving it is “Jesus invites you into His life”. The Bible describes this perspective as being “in Christ”. (Galatians 3:27-28)
So might a better approach be to ask whose story are we part of? Jesus enters our story and walks with us, but from another perspective we could say we enter His story, His mission and walk with Him.
GOD'S MISSION
So what is God’s story? What is God’s mission?
Colossians 1:19-20 tells us that God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Jesus, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.
Jesus himself declared that He came that we may have life in all its fullness (John 10:10). This complete fullness or wholeness or Shalom as it is often called, can be seen in this table.
As we compare these two tables, we begin to see the essential interconnectivity between SDG 7-12 and the Good News of Shalom.
Might it therefore be possible to understand these six SDGs below as God’s global goals, as His fullness of life? Goals that God is inviting us to be part of, His Shalom to transform His world and fulfil His mission with us?
EP2030 is part of the Micah Global network, a Christian movement around the SDGs, based on Micah 6:8.
