Time off at the Conference

Saturday afternoon and Sunday have been quieter days here-a chance to stand back from the routine of the conference and take stock. Where have we got to and what do we want from the remaining week?

So far we have had some space to be reflective during the opening days of the retreat in the Cathedral. We have settled well into the rhythm of Bible Study and we are trying to make the indaba process work, although most of those groups have decided in one way or the other to adapt the timetable in order to make space for real encounters. We have also had a huge quantity of special sessions of one sort or another covering every subject from global warming to ministry appraisal and some high profile plenaries on evangelisation.

So where are we now? Some appear to be feeling that the conference must now start to identify the main messages to send to the Anglican Communion. Others feel that the process of relationship building still has further to go before we shall be in a position to make a clear statement on behalf of all the members.

But certainly the next few days are going to be demanding and tiring as we seek as faithfully as we can to craft something which can represent the mind of the conference. We shall need an atmosphere of trust and prayer if we are to achieve that.

Marching for Justice

It’s not every day that Parliament Square sees a demonstration quite like yesterday. Hundreds of us in purple cassocks making our way to Lambeth Palace with placards calling for an end to poverty certainly attracted attention. But we walked with questions in our minds. Was a short walk in the sun really costing us anything except perhaps a slight loss of dignity? And could you justify the cost of all the coaches from Canterbury to London and the lunch for 1600 afterwards?

Well, the questions were answered by the Prime Minister in an impassioned speech. It is people of faith who can make the difference to the world more than others, he said. After 20 minutes of speaking in the broiling sun without notes he had convinced us all that on the issue of justice for the world’s poorest people, Gordon Brown is a conviction politician. And on his face we could see the evident genuine concern and determination to press the United Nations to move forward as quickly as possible to achieve the Millenium Development Goals.

This was the part of the Conference I had been waiting for since we were able to see for ourselves the power of a worldwide Communion when it speaks out with a common voice for those who have no voice. This above all is what the Communion is for, and this is the reason why we must do all we can to preserve and develop the Communion in spite of our differences.