News
World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit sent greetings to Hindu brothers and sisters on Diwali, the festival of lights celebrated this year on 7 November.
“May this time of celebration bring with it blessings of peace and prosperity to you, your families and your communities,” wrote Tveit, who noted that festivals help people of faith to not just be rooted in their scriptural and spiritual traditions but also to discover afresh their relevance for contemporary times.
“Some of the most well-known traditions of Diwali have at their heart the return of Rama from exile, to his home in Ayodhya,” observed Tveit. “It is this return from exile which becomes the source of celebration and joy, and results in the symbolic lighting of the lamps at the thresholds of houses signifying welcome, joy and hope.”
Greetings from the WCC general secretary on the occasion of Diwali
