Campaigning questions answered
Ask CAFOD: How and why do we campaign and what makes a campaign successful?
Lewis leading a Sunday school class at his church in Liberia.
“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Ask and it will be given to you; search and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.’”
Today’s readings remind us of God’s eternal love. When we are in trouble, distress or in need, God will be there for us. We just need to reach out and ask and God will hear us.
It can be difficult to ask for help, but there are times when we all need support. When Lewis first came to Monrovia, Liberia’s capital city, he didn’t have a canoe, and he struggled to get others to take him out on their own boats so that he could bring food home to his pregnant wife.
Eventually, Lewis’ aunt helped him to get a small canoe. But then he faced the dangers of the sea.
“We used to have around four or five fishermen a month dying in Liberia,” he says. “It was a regular occurrence.”
Thanks to your support, Lewis has received training and equipment to help keep him safe at sea. Lewis still prays each time he goes out, trusting that God who loves us all, will hear him.
“I pray to God for safety and a bigger catch. I remind myself: ‘Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will open.’ Each time I pray, I remember this.”
At the very end of today’s gospel passage, we are told once again to “always treat others as you would like them to treat you”. Perhaps it can be through our actions that God answers, and opens doors.
Lent prayer
God of love, hear us when we pray and lead us to open doors for one another, so that all people have the chance to find what they seek. Amen.
Act
CAFOD’s campaigning tackles the causes of poverty and hunger, not just the symptoms. We seek changes in policy and practice to reduce poverty. Read on and find answers to our most frequently asked questions about campaigning.