Last in a 10-part series

By Katharine Jefferts Schori

Some Episcopalians understand the mission of the church as solely focused on Evangelism; others would see outreach work as primary. Our baptismal covenant addresses both, and the justice and peace work, framed by the Millennium Development Goals, which the Episcopal Church has adopted as its first mission priority is the kind of deed-based evangelism that shows the world the good news of God’s love through the actions of Christians.

The Millennium Development Goals seek to end the deep poverty that limits human flourishing. Achieving them would provide concrete examples of the abundant life Jesus insists is the reason he came among us — “I came that you might have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

This Church has said that our larger vision will be framed and shaped in the coming years by the vision of shalom embedded in the Millennium Development Goals — a world where the hungry are fed, the ill are healed, the young educated, women and men treated equally, and where all have access to clean water and

adequate sanitation, basic health care, and the promise of development that does not endanger the rest of creation.

That vision of abundant life is achievable in our own day, but only with the passionate commitment of each and every one of us.

During the past nine Sundays, you have had a chance to learn about each of the MDGs and the mission work being done by Episcopalians and Anglicans all over the world toward their attainment. You can join them. You can become

ONE Episcopalian and add your voice to those who are calling on governments to do more to fight poverty and disease. You can stand with those governments in their work. You can give one percent of your income and your congregation’s income to programs that fight poverty by fighting disease and opening access to education to all God’s children.

You can find ways to join that work yourself. Have you gone on a mission trip? Have you sat with a mother whose children are sick? Can you help a husband and wife support their family? How will your choices affect the environment?

Our baptismal vows say that we will strive for justice and peace among all people, respect the dignity of every human being, and seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves. Helping the world achieve the MDGs is a concrete way we can live into those promises.

We cannot speak much in the way of good news to people who are starving or dying

of preventable disease. We must begin by doing good news with those who are most

vulnerable. In and through both, God is glorifi ed, and all creation can begin to experience the shalom for which we were created.

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori (pboffice@episcopalchurch.org) is Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church.