The first reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2024 series of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network is written by Dr Munib Younan,* bishop emeritus of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and former president of the Lutheran World Federation. In this reflection, the author, as a Palestinian, in line with this year's theme of "leveraging water for peace,” reflects on Isaiah's promise of free water for the thirsty in the context of the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza that has worsened the water situation in Gaza to catastrophic levels.
Rev. Dr Meghan Johnston Aelabouni, theologian in residence at the Middle East and North Africa Desk for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, reflects below on Holy Week and the path Jesus walked.
Originally published in 2014, the sixth Biblical reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2023 is by Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Germany, and moderator of the WCC central committee. Citing examples from the Bible, he highlights that water is absolutely necessary for life and that everybody has the right of free access to water for their sustenance, irrespective of their economic status.
The voices of the churches in the international arena—
Ranging across the globe, this vital compendium of documents covers an astonishing array of engagement by Christian churches through the World Council of Churches and its Commission of the Churches in International Affairs: war and peace, regional and national conflicts, disarmament and nuclear weapons, violence against women, economic justice, climate justice, freedom of religion, religious intolerance, ethnic and indigenous people’s struggles—the list goes on.
HIV—the ongoing challenge to churches and church leaders—
Almost thirty-five years after the advent of HIV and AIDS, churches, church bodies and church leaders are developing competence in handling the enormous personal, communal, cultural and religious dimensions of the epidemic. Yet the challenge is ongoing and global. While the rate of new infections is declining in Africa, for example, it is on the rise in Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Despite their largely pacifist origins, Christianity and Christian traditions can claim only limited success in their efforts to conciliate conflict, avoid violence, and stop war. Perhaps it is time, say the eminent contributors to this deeply reflective volume, to look at Eastern and Oriental traditions, to the very different perspectives of Orthodox Christian on issues of war, peace, and the justice that must undergird peace.
We request our churches in Korea, Japan and Germany to work locally for the remembrance of history and the transmission of insights gained thereby to the next generation.
We therefore request our congregations to work for a situation where the wrongdoing, which in some cases has only just come to light, is not repressed, and call upon them to seek solutions in cooperation with the responsible politicians and citizens' action groups.
The present document has been prepared by a multicultural and interdenominational group of missiologists, medical doctors and health professionals. It builds upon the tradition of the WCC's Christian Medical Commission (CMC) and its most fruitful contribution to an understanding of the healing ministry of the church. This document does not repeat what remains well formulated in earlier texts of the World Council of Churches, such as the document "Healing and Wholeness. The churches' Role in Health", adopted in 1990 by the Central Committee.
The "young missiologists consultation" was organised by the Mission and Ecumenical Formation Team of the World Council of Churches, on behalf of the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism, following a suggestion formulated during a session of the Central Committee of the WCC. 32 young theologians, coming from seven regions, many denominations and interested in missiology, learnt to know each other and worked on themes related to the forthcoming world mission conference in Athens (May 9-16, 2005).
The study guide My Neighbour's Faith and Mine: Theological discoveries through interfaith dialogue, was published by the WCC in 1986. Since then it has been translated into numerous languages and used widely.
