World Council of Churches (WCC) moderator Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, in his report to the WCC executive committee, posed complex questions and reasons for hope. “Should we act as prophets or as pastors?” he asked “And what do we mean when we talk about prophetically speaking truth to power?”
He reflected on the power of prophetic speech, including aspects of prophecy and prudence. In outlining seven dimensions of speaking to power, he also underscored aspects of the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity.
“How can the churches critically accompany political processes?” he asked. “When should they speak up to power in ways which are more shocking than comforting and sustaining?”
He acknowledged that the answers to these questions are highly contextual. “But it is helpful to ask these questions no matter what our context is,” he said. “The way we speak to people in power as churches must take different dimensions into account.”
He described prophetic speech as characterized by the passion for justice. “Its goal must be the actual improvement of the situation of the most disadvantaged,” he said. “When we reflect upon what we say to people in power, the preferential option for the poor must guide us.”
In addition, prophetic speech must always include prudence, suggested Bedford-Strohm.
“Therefore we must always ask ourselves: Is our speech really in the service of God’s call to make a difference?” he said. “Or is it only an expression of one’s personal anger?”
He also suggested that churches have a special function as agents in civil society. “They know about the indisputable moral truths on which a society depends such as the dignity of every human being and the preference of the poor for which the biblical prophets stand,” he said.
“At the same time, they see the world as a whole reconciled by God in Jesus Christ and therefore stand for the inclusion of each member of society into a commonwealth based on those moral truths.”
The WCC executive committee is convening in Paralimni, Cyprus, from 21-26 November to focus on planning for 2025, including the budget and implementation of WCC strategies. The thematic focus of the gathering is on peace-building in the context of occupation, war, and conflicts.
Source: oikoumene.org
