News
A series of Biblical meditations on gender, reproductive and sexual health is being launched by the World Council of Churches (WCC), inviting congregations and individual Christians to make November a month of reflection on health and healing.
"November is that time of year just before Advent when we prepare for our Saviour coming into the world," says Dr Manoj Kurian, WCC programme executive for Health and Healing. "It is a time for reflection and preparation as we invite God into our lives, a time for healing and transformation."
The WCC Health and Healing programme seeks to support these efforts to revitalize the church community by offering a reflection on one aspect of health and healing ahead of each of the four Sundays in November.
Reflections will be looking at stories from the Bible and at the Christian calling to service in the world.
The reflection for the first week, as well as an overview of the following weeks, is already available at www.oikoumene.org/health
For this first year, the focus of the Month of Health and Healing is on gender, reproductive and sexual health.
"We chose to start this initiative with a focus on gender and sexuality because gender inequity has a grave impact on public health as well as on the church as a healing community of women and men," says Kurian. "Women and men are equally precious to God, yet religions have in many cases reinforced the marginalisation of women and girls.
Download the first reflection: Gender inequity and its impact on health: Created in the image of God (pdf, 168 KB)
