Rage and Hope - two very different and complicated emotions

March 5, 2021

With the upcoming release of Rage and Hope: 75 prayers for a better world, we asked SPCK staff members what they thought of the book. In this blog post, Business Development Assistant Siân tells us her thoughts.

---

Christian Aid turns 75 in a very angry and lonely world. To celebrate this historic milestone for this astonishing organisation, SPCK Publishing and Christian Aid are publishing a book of prayers revolving around ‘Rage and Hope’ - two very different and complicated emotions, one being negative and uncontrollable anger and the other positive optimism - two emotions that fit our time, right now, in this horrendous pandemic.

Rage and hope are both emotions that Christians feel on a regular basis. We are passionate people. Christians want to change the world for the better. We try, we fail, but we do try again. We need to look after each other, to encourage equality and justice for a better world. We know we’re not perfect. It’s obvious. We see it every day. Poverty is a huge global concern. This is what Christian Aid strives to end; to transform these matters and to do God’s work, to bring righteousness to the helpless and to end poverty.

Chine McDonald (editor) noted that,

“This book is intended for use by individual Christians, engaged in global issues, who want meaningful ways to engage their faith with the issues the world is facing now and into the future.”

Reading ‘Rage and Hope’, was deeply moving to read as a Christian. It is full of compassion, wise voices and words of courage for a hopeful future. Isn’t that what we need right now? This book of prayers commemorates the 75th year of Christian Aid, but most importantly reveals the fact that there is still much more to be done. We need to pray and talk about their aims. The prayer book is split into 4 contexts, ‘Remember’, ‘Resist’, ‘Resolve’ and ‘Reimagine’. I found myself almost going on a voyage, lamenting and reflecting about the world around me, whether that was meditating on racial issues, the pandemic, climate change, poverty or gender injustice, or remembering the struggle and unfairness around us and reimagining a world where there are possibilities of equality globally.

In praying and analysing this book, I found that anger will always find love. We all want our world to be better, whether we are Christian or not. This is what makes this book so relevant. Naomi Browell sums this up perfectly in her prayer, ‘Together Only’,

“We want to use that anger,
To spark a change with hope.
With hope we reimagine this world,
It becomes a world of Love.
With hope we reimagine this world,
It becomes a world of Justice.”

Christian Aid’s respectable determination to bring justice to the world is still here after an incredible 75 years. They want us to rage together, to be hopeful together, to work together and support one another, to bring our planet fairness and a healing renewal. So, let’s do that. Let’s begin.

‘Rage and Hope’ will be published 18th March 2021.

---

Rage and Hope Book Launch - 10th March, 6pm on Zoom

Join the three past leaders of Christian Aid in conversation with current CEO Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, as they look back on the past 30 years of fighting poverty around the world.

Find out more and register here >>