02.08.2022
Lambeth 2022 Day 7: Honour everyone
The Lambeth Conference is currently taking place with Anglican bishops from throughout the Anglican Communion gathering in Canterbury. The once in a decade conference brings together bishops from across the globe for prayer and reflection, fellowship, and dialogue on church and world affairs. Archbishop Michael Jackson is attending and will report back to Dublin & Glendalough. Below is his report from Day 7 of Lambeth 2022.
Holy Communion was celebrated by The Episcopal Church in the Philippines and the video on discipleship spoke positively about developments since the easing of Covid–19 restrictions with the building of many new churches.
The Archbishop of Canterbury led us in study of 1 Peter once again. He reminded us of the nuance required in writing such a letter to those in the diaspora who were under surveillance and persecution in the Roman Empire. A verse like: Honour everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honour the emperor (1 Peter 2.17) shows this. His point was that the specific encouragement to the Christians is couched in a positive and general exhortation to honour everyone including the emperor.
The plenary was on reconciliation and as an exercize in both letting go and receiving again bishops were invited to exchange their pectoral cross with their neighbour for the duration of the talks. This was a novel experience for all present. We heard of reconciliation work and the devastating pain which reconciliation causes, after the devastating pain of trauma itself, from north India, from Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia and from the worldwide President of Mothers’ Union.
During the afternoon there were two Calls. One related to Reconciliation. One related to Human Dignity. The second of these had occasioned much media interest as it made reference to the Resolution Lambeth 1.10 of 1998. The affirmations were set in the context of human dignity to be shown to those of different cultures, of different socio–economic situations and of those of different gender and sexuality, in the words of the Call. The archbishop was clear that the document stated what were facts. The discussion was fulsome and respectful. After the discussion, all present prayed together and left the hall amid good humoured conversation.
