read issue - Episcopal Church in the Philippines

“God of Life, Lead us to Justice
and Peace”
6
Special Feature
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
It is a great joy for me to worship here in this wonderful
cathedral this morning, together with you whose church
this is, and together with other participants from the
conference on world mission and evangelism gathered
in Manila these days.
We are in the middle of a global conference
about the mission of the church in the world. The theme,
“Together Towards Life – Called to Live Out the Hope
in Christ” is inspired by the same Gospel as the Gospel
reading today, the Gospel of John, chapter 10: “I came
that they may have life, and have life in its fullness.”
The reflections we have had together these days have
been nurtured through images, dances, presentations,
conversations, prayers, and experiences of the life given
to us by God. We understand deeper than before how
this life must be shared with others, and how it shall be
shared. The sharing is especially empowering because
we are sharing the experiences we have, particularly
those experiences of life as vulnerable, oppressed,
or threatened. The fullness of life is a promise that is
particularly given for those who experience poverty or
struggle to see the meaning of life. We have listened
to how many circumstances make it quite difficult to
experience the gift of life properly.
We have listened to voices and stories from
the Philippines who are bringing witness to the life
in fullness given here. We also have heard the cries
for life with justice and peace, longing for life without
violations of human rights, without extrajudicial killings,
without the daily struggle against poverty, without
being dominated by geopolitical powers or caught in
the middle of the struggle between the big powers. We
are therefore also brought into the middle of the life of
peoples here in the Philippines - and in this part of the
world.
This is also the day of the annunciation, 25
March, 9 months before 25 December, Christmas day,
the day when Mary was told by a messenger from God
that she was called to carry the Son of God to the world.
This is the day when the church around the world also
celebrates this mystery of life. And we celebrate that
this mystery also could mean that God could come into
The Philippine EPISCOPALIAN
Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit was elected
general secretary of the World Council
of Churches in August 2009, and took
up his new post in January 2010. At
the time of his election, Tveit was the
general secretary of the Church of
Norway Council on Ecumenical and
International Relations (2002-09).
Before taking up the post of general secretary,
Tveit served the WCC as a member of the Faith and Order
Plenary Commission and as a co-chair of the Palestine Israel
Ecumenical Forum core group.In his home country, he served
as a member of the board of directors and executive committee
of the Christian Council of Norway, moderator of the Church
of Norway - Islamic Council of Norway contact group and the
same for the Jewish Congregation contact group. He also was
a member of the Inter-Faith Council of Norway and a member
of the board of trustees of Norwegian Church Aid. Tveit is an
ordained pastor in the Church of Norway and has also served
as a parish priest in Haram, Møre Diocese, 1988-91 and an
army chaplain during his compulsory year of national service in
1987-1988.
In 2002, Tveit was awarded a doctorate in theology by
the Norwegian School of Theology/Menighetsfakultetet in Oslo
for his dissertation on Mutual Accountability as Ecumenical
Attitude.
our world through a woman, through the life of a human
being. This is a day to celebrate that Jesus came that
we may have life, even life in its fullness. Every time
a new life is created in the womb of a mother, it is a
sign of the mystery of life. That particular birth and that
particular human being of Jesus is a mystery among
the mysteries.
Everything needs to be received and interpreted.
Also the mysteries of life given to us in Jesus require an
ongoing interpretation: What do these words of Jesus
mean today? What does the cross of Jesus means
today?
This long line of interpretation, of seeking
meaning in what was said and what happened with
Jesus, even when there seems to be no meaning,
started already in the early church. The Gospel of John
is an advanced combination of the story of Jesus and
the interpretation of it. We hear it clearly in the Gospel
reading today. The noise from above was interpreted
by Jesus: This was for you, he said to the religious
pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem to worship.
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