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World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit expressed warm greetings to members of the Jewish community on the festival of Rosh Hashanah.
“The prominence of the theme of creation at Rosh Hashanah is paralleled in a widespread designation of this part of the Christian liturgical year as the ‘Creation Season’,” Tveit wrote. “This is a welcome reminder to Jews and Christians alike of the abundant generosity of God and of the goodness and purposeful reality of the world that God has entrusted to us.”
But the realistic and sobering story told by the scriptures is of repeated human failure to live out this vocation, with consequences that are painful for ourselves, and often disastrous and disfiguring for the wider creation, Tveit reflected. “So the Jewish emphasis at this season on self-examination and penitence is salutary for us all,” he wrote.
Referring to the continuing challenge of seeking peace and justice for all in the Holy Land, Tveit concluded: “At times the way forward may seem daunting, and we may be tempted to lose heart, but as we discern the image of God in one another we are reminded that our faltering efforts are undergirded by God’s constant and unfailing commitment to all that he has made.”
