Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am happy to invite you to the next session of the “COVID & Beyond” discernment process, this Wednesday, 24 February, at 15:00 (CET) with its second “sharing circle.”

The idea of a sharing circle is to express areas of particular urgency in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the injustices it exposes and to generate ideas how we as a Communion on all levels should respond to the crisis.

As European Region, we are invited to present under the theme “Do not fear in times of pandemic.” As the economic impact of the pandemic hurts the poorest the most, churches are called to reconsider the role they can play in secularized societies, delivering a prophetic message to the public on such topics as the rule of law and democracy, health standards, and protection of the poor.

Members of our Steering Committee and delegates of Member Churches have prepared some inputs about the situation in Europe and the challenges we are facing, including a theological approach upon the topic.

A second panel will address racism, nationalism, and authoritarianism, including the growing and often violent upsurge of racist ideologies that are more often than not fed by nationalist discourses. The panelists will attempt to lift up the voices of racialized communities around the world while at the same time fleshing out the connections between racism, authoritarianism, and nationalism. They will seek to articulate theologies of life that arise from below as offering possibilities of resistance and transformation.

The sharing circle will be livestreamed on our Facebook pages in English, French, and Spanish and posted later to our YouTube Channel. 

All are invited to watch and participate either through the comments functions or by sending an email message to: require@wcrc.eu

Please share this invitation with other friends!

We hope you will join us live or watch later.

Sincerely yours,

Martina Wasserloos