Remember the cries of the people and the cry of Mother Earth as you work to form a coalition government - Fiji Council of Churches and Pacific Conference of Churches

The Fiji Council of Churches and Pacific Conference of Churches have written a pastoral letter to the FijiFirst, the People’s Alliance, National Federation Party and SODELPA, saying they should remember the cries of the people and the cry of Mother Earth as they work to form a coalition government.

President of the Fiji Council of Churches, Archbishop Peter Loy Chong and Pacific Conference of Churches General Secretary, Reverend James Bhagwan say it is of deep significance to them that the parties are making these decisions on the eve of Christmas.

They say they hope and pray that the choices reflect the message of the angels who sang ‘Peace on earth and goodwill towards all people.’

They also say that they understand that forming a coalition government is a challenging process.

They recognize that some of them carry hurt, brokenness, and animosity which makes this critical process even more difficult.

Archbishop Chong and Reverend Bhagwan say these wounds are real and deep and need healing.

They say as we look for healing, we turn to Jesus, the Prince of Peace who in his life, suffering, death and resurrection healed and reconciled broken and wounded people.

The church leaders encourage the parties to embrace their brokenness, disappointments and vulnerability in order to experience peace of mind and inner freedom that is a gift of God. They urge them to give space to God through prayer.

They say with God’s gift of peace, you can bring much needed healing and reconciliation within your parties, with other parties and throughout our nation.

The Fiji Council of Churches and Pacific Conference of Churches say the faith communities of Fiji have prayed for the parties throughout the election process.

Today members of the Fiji Council of Churches and Pacific Conference of Churches gathered at Nazareth Prayer Centre to pray for the parties as they work to form a coalition government which will be in the best interest of all Fijians.

They say they invested time in personal prayer, they listened to one another’s reflections, noting the common threads of their prayer, and listened to what the Holy Spirit is saying to them.