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“We all experience it every day: the world is in turmoil,” said Bedford-Strohm. “There is so much division, disorientation, injustice, violence.”
He reflected on Palestine and Israel, Ukraine, care for creation, and a Vatican paper entitled “Bishop of Rome.”
He noted that the WCC, when discussing problems and making decisions about statements on certain regions, always listen to its member churches. “Since we do not have Jewish communities as members, there is a systemic reason that the Palestinian perspective comes especially close to us,” he said. “At the same time, we are in dialogue with Jewish partners to listen to their perspectives.”
He also reflected that prayer is the most powerful force to widen empathy. “All those who die are children of God destined to live together in peace,” he said. "Human dignity is indivisible.”
Bedford-Strohm shared his hope for introducing a “Feast of Creation” into the church calendar as a way of giving a firm spiritual basis for ecological commitments. “I was pleased about the support expressed in the subsequent discussion for our ecumenical work, especially for our ‘Assisi Initiative’ to introduce a Feast of Creation in the church year in Western Christianity as well,” he said.
