Feature story
A symbolic “protest march” of picketers for truth, justice, love, reconciliation and unity provided an illustration for the biblical response to the question, which begins, “Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart”. Accompanied by an ancient Greek Orthodox liturgical chant and a traditional African American song of liberation, the psalm set in motion a service dedicated to the theme “Christ’s love moves us to share”.
The gospel lesson was Luke 19:1-9, a narrative in which Jesus encounters Zacchaeus watching Jesus and his followers pass by as they walked into Jericho. Despite the man’s reputation as a sinner, Jesus showed an interest in him, said he would dine with him and offered him the hope of salvation.
“Love restores dignity to everyone,” a litany proclaimed. “The excluded are accepted and redeemed, those who uphold an exclusive faith learn that mercy is stronger than contempt and that love can open up paths to reconciliation.”
As so often in ecumenical common prayer, readers spoke in a wide range of languages and musicians played diverse pieces from a catalogue of global music. Nations represented in the morning’s hymnody include Canada, the eastern Mediterranean, Namibia, China, Japan, and Costa Rica.
In a contemporary statement of faith, the congregation affirmed, “We believe in a God of grace and generosity, a God not content to exist in isolation from the common experiences of life, but who in Jesus of Nazareth showed us what true human love is. We believe in a God of justice and lasting peace: a God not content with religious platitudes or passive responses to the great questions. And we believe in a God of truth and liberty: a God not content with belief, rite or ritual if they do not lead to sight for the blind, freedom for the captive and food for the hungry.”
Livestream of the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany
