A webinar explores how to engage in dialogue of reconciliation
From the churches of Latin America seeking paths to peace and reconciliation, to Lutherans in the global north wrestling with divisive questions of morality and ethics, participants in the “Being Lutheran” webinar on 2 December discussed ways of understanding the spirit of our age.
The online discussion was the sixth in a monthly series, bringing together theologians and others engaged in the study of contemporary Lutheran identity. The webinar was led by the director of the Lutheran World Federation’s Identity, Communion and Formation programme, Rev. Dr Chad Rimmer.
In her opening reflection, Rev. Dr Simone Sinn, professor of ecumenical theology at the Bossey Institute and a member of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches (WCC), noted that conversations in the public space require discernment and the ability to distinguish worldly and spiritual matters.
Quoting Martin Luther’s treatise on the freedom of a Christian, published 500 years ago, she affirmed that the gospel is “a message of liberation that sets us free”, so that “all our energy and attention can be freely devoted to others. Lutherans are famous for “rolling up their sleeves and engaging with the most complex and serious issues of the day”, she noted, in order to serve others and “be part of a process of transformation”.
The role of the community
Speaking of the tools that Lutherans can use in the process of discernment, she listed the traditional ones: Scripture, the catechism, hymns and the sacraments, but also mentioned the insights of contemporary scholarship that can help develop our understanding of issues. She stressed the importance of being aware of the communal dimension, emphasising that those most affected by the issues under discussion must take part in the conversations.
Speaking from a Latin American perspective, Atahualpa Hernandez, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia, spoke about the challenges of working for peace in a country that has experienced more than half a century of civil war. He recalled that in the 2016 referendum to ratify the peace agreement, more than half of the country voted against, pointing out that a “Christian country” “is no guarantee that we are ready to fulfil the calling to be messengers of peace”.
He spoke of the difficulties of witnessing and discerning the spirits in a country where Catholics still receive “preferential treatment” and where Lutherans and other mainline Protestants seek to distinguish themselves from rapidly growing prosperity-gospel churches. He said the key is to find ways to “embody our theology” and use our gifts in service to those most affected by violence and conflict.
Continuity and change
Dr Sinn spoke about the work with the WCC, which in 2013 produced the first document on how to deal with questions of morality and ethics, and is currently completing work on a second publication on continuity and change. “Whenever the church reaches out to those who face discrimination, it may arrive at conclusions that others find hard to accept,” she said. She pointed to earlier elements of church doctrine concerning the issues of slavery, apartheid, war and peace, as well as the current divisions over the inclusion of the LGBTQI community.
Rev. Sinn stressed that building understanding takes time, and that churches at the local and national levels must give people a space to meet and listen to one another. “The Christian life is not just about implementing standards of virtue, but about a loving response to the most vulnerable,” she emphasised.
We are still learning and trying to respond with love. /Atahualpa Hernandez, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia/
Bishop Hernandez noted that the church witnesses best when it accompanies and stands alongside those who seek dialogue and reconciliation. In the context of violence he said: “We do not consider ourselves better than others, and we do not have the answers,” but rather “we are still learning” and “trying to respond with love”.”
The Colombian church leader concluded by giving a concrete example of reconciliation in which he had taken part on the first Sunday of Advent, when former rebel fighters and members of indigenous communities came together to share their stories of pain and conflict. The participants broke a plate to symbolise the violence and division of their society, but were then invited to seek ways to put the pieces back together again. “I saw small children taking part in it,” he said.
“It is hard to describe, and it cannot be written down in a report,” he added, “but it was a symbol of hope.”
GENEVA, Switzerland
03.12.2020.
Source: The Lutheran World Federation
Photo: LWF/P. Hitchen