Spiritual calling of SDGs

by the Rev. Dr. Michael Kuchinsky

Increased chances of living in peace, with human dignity and at ease with our environments – taken together, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 interconnected goals that have been taken up by the world’s peoples, governments and faiths to pursue a holistic common good. The goals (and their targets) involve politics, economics and planning… but also ethics, spirituality and human will. They can become a spiritual calling.

Since our synod’s unanimous adoption of a resolution pertaining to the SDGs in part encouraging the congregations of the synod to engage in thoughtful and prayerful study*, and building on the successes of the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of 2015**, the Rev. Dr. Richard Hoehn and I have gone from church to church sharing information about the SDGs and providing tools for congregations to embrace one or more of the goals as part of their mission. From our perspective as retired activists, professors and pastors, the Church and churches can contribute to increased awareness, more hopeful discourse and more broadly targeted service and advocacy beneficial at various levels.

Dick and I invite you to our workshop on the SDGs at the 2017 Metro D.C. Synod Assembly. And consider scheduling a block of time for a SDGs class in your congregation***. Shalom!

Our guest blogger, the Rev. Dr. Michael Kuchinsky, is a retired Professor and Program Coordinator of Political Science
and Global Studies at Gardner-Webb University and is on the roster of the Metro D.C. Synod.

* See full text of “United Nations Sustainable Development Goals” adopted by the 2016 Metro D.C. Synod Assembly, at https://metrodcelca.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/16synasmfinalrezdevelopmentgoals.pdf .

** Learn more about the MDGs at www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ .

*** Direct requests to rahoehncomcast.net, or mckuchinskygmail.com.