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The marks of ecumenical spirituality are "readiness to rethink and to be converted" and willingness "to bear the otherness of the other, including refugees, people of another colour and other faiths, the old and the poor - all God's people," said Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia yesterday, the first day of the 2006 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Preaching at a service in the French-language church in Switzerland's capital Bern, Kobia recognized that bearing the otherness of the other "is not a simple matter". For this to happen, Christians "must develop the spiritual capacity to hear and see the grace of God in the other, [...] the capacity to feel the pulse of the world around us and to listen to the voices of those far and near".
According to the WCC general secretary, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has a "very significant role" to play in such an endeavour. "As we meet, sing, pray and worship together here in Bern in the context of the universality of the world-wide Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, [...] we are one with our brothers and sisters in Bolivia, in Kiribati, in Botswana and, yes, with our Irish brothers and sisters who have prepared the liturgical materials we are using this week."
Kobia gave thanks to God for the "world-wide community" which each year comes "together in spirit to pray for God's energy and guidance in search of unity". "Prayer," Kobia said, "remains at the heart of the unity that we seek." A unity that is "not just for our sake, but also for the sake of the world".
<p class="nospace"» Sharing views with Swiss churches and state
The WCC general secretary has been in Bern for the past two days paying his first official visit to the churches of the country that is home to the headquarters of the WCC.
During his visit, Kobia met with the leadership of the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches (SEK-FEPS) and its member churches. He also met with Moritz Leuenberger, the president of Switzerland's seven-member Federal Council, and with Micheline Calmy-Rey, the federal councillor responsible for foreign affairs.
Kobia's discussion with SEK-FEPS focused on ecumenism in the 21st century, touching on such issues as confessionalism vs. emerging mega-churches, the declining influence of the churches in Europe, and such possible ecumenical models as Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI).
The Swiss church leaders indicated that SEK-FEPS hopes to get more involved in the WCC's 2001-2010 Decade to Overcome Violence, especially in view of the planned DOV focus on Europe in 2007. Similarly, SEK-FEPS is interested in working with the WCC on the issue of globalization in general, and water in particular.
Primarily an opportunity to discuss the WCC's role and work, Kobia's meeting with Swiss president Moritz Leuenberger allowed them to exchange views on the topic of access to water, which is increasingly becoming an issue in Switzerland as it is in other parts of the world.
The main foci of Kobia's discussion with Micheline Calmy-Rey were UN reform, the situation in Israel-Palestine, and in Korea. Referring to security, human rights, and development as the three pillars of the UN system, the WCC general secretary congratulated the Swiss government on being "at the forefront in the UN on security and human rights issues", but indicated that "there are more expectations in relation to the third pillar, development", in regard particularly to Switzerland's overseas development assistance.
Kobia was accompanied by WCC staff members Jacques Matthey (mission and evangelism), Teny Pirri-Simonian (church and ecumenical relations), Martin Robra (ethics and ecology), Sabine Udodesku (executive secretary), and Peter Weiderud (international affairs).
The 2006 Week of Prayer materials are available on the WCC website at:
wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/faith/wop2006contents.html
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Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches' website:
www.sek.ch [in German and French]