WCC NEWS: WCC executive committee member shares reflection on “how are we called to act in love and justice?”

As the World Council of Churches executive committee was meeting in-person for the first time in two years, they gathered at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute for meetings and prayers. Bishop Sally Dyck of the United Methodist Church (USA) preaching at a Sunday service during the WCC executive committee meeting in Bossey Ecumenical Institute.  Photo: WCC 15 November 2021 During a Sunday service on 14 November, they heard a sermon by Bishop Sally Dyck of the United Methodist Church (USA), who spoke on “Neighbors Everywhere.”  Dyck talked about expanding our definition of our neighbor. “Who is our neighbor and how are we called to act in love and justice?” she asked. “When it comes to climate justice, I came to realize, our neighbor is definitely near—others who experience the same drought, intense storms, fires, toxic disasters, and other environmental disasters as we do—and our neighbor is far—on the other side of the country or continent or world.” From opposite ends of the globe, we have neighbors who are vitally connected to each other, Dyck reflected. “Our neighbors are our grandchildren and their children,” she said. “Our neighbors are those who come after us and rely on us to work for climate justice out of love for them." As COP26 ended, Dyck continued, there is the risk of more talk than action to avoid the melting permafrost and the rising sea waters.  “As countries return home, especially mine, putting promises into action will make all the difference in the world—literally life or death—for those who live at the poles and all of us in between,” she said. “What action verbs are we implementing to care for our neighbors in the future?” What will people who contribute the most to carbon emissions sacrifice out of their own means and convenience? “What are our action verbs that insure climate justice for our neighbors—near and far, now and in the future?” she asked. “Everywhere creation is groaning from our lack of action; lack of love and justice; everywhere our neighbors are hurting from climate change; everywhere there is the need to engage in love and justice for our neighbors near and far, now and in the future…yes, everywhere, for everyone.” Read the sermon by Bishop Sally Dyck at the WCC executive committee meeting in Bossey WCC executive committee “reimagining the future” with a sense of hope (WCC press release, 12 November 2021) WCC executive committee to hold first in-person meeting in two years (WCC press release, 12 November 2021) See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland