Videos were shown at the outset of each day of the 2008 Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Communion. These videos introduced participants to the day’s theme. Trinity Wall Street has all ten videos available at their web site.
Lambeth Journal 7 introduces the theme and rationale for Equal in God’s Sight: When Power is Abused. Jane Williams, wife of the Archbishop of Canterbury explains the unique call for Christians to lead by serving, as when Jesus says leaders should wash the feet of those they serve. Joan Devashayam, wife of the bishop of the Diocese of Chennai, South India, tells of how the church saves girls from a life of prostitution. Others share stories of violence against women and children and the hope that the church can change this culture of abuse
Lambeth Journal 9, Listening to God and Each Other: The Bishop and Human Sexuality, features a conversation between Tom Shaw, Bishop of Massachusetts and Philip Baji, Bishop of Tanga, Tanzania. The bishops discuss the relationship between the dioceses they serve and with each other. Bishop Baji tells of his request to meet with gay and lesbian clergy in Massachusetts and Bishop Shaw relates how the clergy felt they had been heard with compassion. Baji says we can disagree with one another but not hate, that running away from one another will not solve anything. He says we “make the way by walking the way.” Their conversation begins about 2 minutes and 30 seconds into the video. It follows a predictable speech on “lifestyles” by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The last video, Lambeth Journal 10, Fostering Our Common LIfe: The Bishop, the Covenant and the Windsor Process, features the Stewards, young people from around the Anglican Communion who helped with logistics for the bishops and their spouses. The unfailingly helpful and polite support by the Stewards was praised by all. The Stewards speak from their faith and hope for the communion. One Maori steward notes that they hope for a communion based in love for one another instead of rules. As he says, as a Maori, his people’s experience is that those with power make the rules for their own benefit and not the benefit of those without power.
Bishop Trevor Mwamba, Botswana, speaks on this video on the role of covenant in the communion. He believes a covenant relationship arises from a spirit of reverence of that which is best in life. A covenant based in rules and regulations kills the spirit, causes us to “walk on eggs” and brings forth a spirit of fear. Bishop Gabriel Shoji Igarishi of Japan believes now is a time to wait. We cannot have a covenant until we understand the circumstances of one another. Bishop Neil of Ireland encourages walking together, we do not need to be in total agreement or have a legalistic set of rules to walk together.
Watch them all here.