His observation, however, is absolutely correct: there should be no need for a meeting such as the one he describes. His underlying point is that the world is sick (and it is); and the the true hope of the world is for us to work for health for the Body of Christ (he's right).
I've been reading Barclay's commentary on John, and one of his comments has stuck with me: (paraphrasing) It is not "love" to fail to speak the truth.
A healthy Body of Christ requires us to speak the truth; and speaking the truth with respect to the third world means that we must not overlook the bad things that third world countries do to themselves. At the same time, it would be wrong to pretend that we in the First World are not also to blame for some of what has happened there -- you can undoubtedly pick out a lot of examples, some of them done in the name of "love" by our friends on the left, and also in the name of greed by folks across the political spectrum.
I think the former Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, is a perfect example of how all of these factors play together. Rhodesia was a place where some people were badly exploited by the "first world" white minority. The "loving" response from the west was to force out the white minority, and to usher in the reign of Robert Mugabe, who has (in lamentably typical African fashion) made things incomparably worse. Who's to blame? Everybody -- not just the third worlders.
We need to be honest about others; but we need also to be honest about ourselves. As ++Rowan points out, we are in need of a doctor ourselves.
As for the third world, I think the answer is "simply" this: to speak the truth about Christ, and how we are to live in Him. The Africans doing a good job of that themselves; the folks in need of a physician on the speaking of His truth is us, not them.
We're going to have to leave this as is because I'm clearly making a point you consider ancillary at best and you keep insisting that ++Rowan's indictment is somehow authoritative, just because he correctly recites Scriptural sources.
I will insist that he is at best misapplying the source for partisan purpose and that what you are saying about First World guilt is the primary grounding for reparations (read: international extortion). And I strongly object to the suggestion that Rhodesia was that badly treated. One can say that only relative to other overseas British possessions. Britain, largely now derided for her empire, was on balance a caring and generous colonizer. If I were Belgian, French, German or Italian, then the general picture is far worse, and in the French case, so very widespread. That Zimbabweans are now racist and basically a governmental theft ring appears to be something they have achieved as a local society. You are free to put forward examples of other colonies going into such organized theft. I only know of South Africa, which should thereby claim influence from Holland as well.
Sorry, my friend, but ++Rowan is calling people to repentance for sins they have not committed and for sins committed before those he's speaking to were even born. That's exactly the wrong kind of sinfulness. I am a sinner, no doubt about that, but they are sins I have myself committed. I am not responsible for what other people did here or elsewhere and I am not going to be pressured by whingeing words to pay up for what I did not do, never consented to and would not do unless somebody put a gun to my head (and, if the importance sufficed, maybe not even then).
In Christ,
Deacon Paul+