A Pastoral Statement on the State of the Nation Address 2024 “THE KIND OF FASTING THAT GOD DESIRES FOR US”

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” – Isaiah 58:6-7

In Isaiah 58, in the people’s quest at nation-building, God calls upon them through the prophet Isaiah to fast, and the kind of fasting that God has chosen is one that loose the chains of injustice, untie the cords of the yoke, set the oppressed free, break every yoke, share food with the hungry, provide the poor with shelter, clothe the naked, and not turn away from one’s own flesh and blood. (vv. 6-7)

As the country marks the 52nd anniversary of the imposition of Martial Law, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) joins the Filipino people in commemorating this historic day. The UCCP restates its conviction that Martial Law is fundamentally bad. It blatantly disregards the rule of law, democracy, human rights, and justice, amply demonstrating a corrupt system of government.

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