31.07.2022
Lambeth 2022 Day 5: Relationality is a key component in hospitality and witness
The Lambeth Conference is currently taking place with Anglican bishops from throughout the Anglican Communion gathering in Canterbury. The once in a decade conference brings together bishops from across the globe for prayer and reflection, fellowship, and dialogue on church and world affairs. Archbishop Michael Jackson is attending and will report back to Dublin & Glendalough. Below is his report from Day 5 of Lambeth 2022.
An early start brought all bishops to the cathedral for a most inspiring act of worship in the international Anglican tradition. I suggest that every cathedral can do this and can take its lead and guide from Canterbury – not as an exercize in copying but as an expression of hospitality. Context and culture are intrinsic to these expressions of continuity, hope and trust. They need very careful planning and execution.
The bishop of Lesotho preached a generous sermon in which she said the following: A person is a person through another person. Relationality is a key component in hospitality and in witness. This is the key learning from her exegesis. Humility is a vital connection between servant leadership and hospitality and a rich vein of exploration for every disciple with all other human persons.
During the service a primatial cross was presented to Sami Archbishop of Egypt, as Egypt has become the forty–first Province of the Communion. Archbishop Sami has been with us in Dublin as part of the AOOIC Meeting.
The afternoon was taken up with the painful – and rightly painful – exploration of Safe Church and Safeguarding. The experiences shared from across The Anglican Communion were shattering and informative. We in the Church of Ireland are fortunate in having a robust Safeguarding system which, of course, can respond to but cannot prevent abuse.
The evening concluded with an invitation to dinner in The Old Palace where Archbishop Welby was presented with an icon of St Alban by the ecumenical visitors and a personal portrait by the Bishops of South Sudan. It takes all sorts to make a world of friendship and harmony!!
