Easter Week: A report from war-torn Congo, relief work in Myanmar, and how Christians should engage politically

EASTER WEEK

The Easter season is not just a time of spiritual trial – not just a reflection on the Easter story of sacrifice and redemption. Many Christians, and other people of faith, persevere in the face of real danger in regions convulsed by conflict. One of those places is Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A mixture of calm and fear now prevails in the city since rebels from the so-called M23 group took over in January. MARTIN GORDON is the Anglican Bishop of Goma, where he leads a church of about 12,000 people.

In Myanmar/Burma, the UN High Commission for Refugees estimates 17 million people are dealing with the effects of a massive earthquake at the end of March. Even before the catastrophe, aid agencies said 20 million Burmese were relying on aid to survive in a country torn by civil war since a military coup in 2021. Caritas is a Catholic relief agency with operations across the country. SALLY THOMAS is the humanitarian manager.

This year, Easter is enfolded in a federal election, so it’s the perfect time to ask how Christians should take part in politics. How should they submit to the power of the state, even when it challenges their core beliefs? Dr MARK FOWLER is a lawyer and academic. His new book tries to answer some of these tough questions. It’s called Beauty and the Law.