Keep up-to-date with the work of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland with the Spring 2024 edition of CTBI Magazine. You can read the magazine online or download as a PDF, and even print it out and take it with you.
Welcome
Recently I’ve had a lot of requests to speak to groups about hope. It’s a challenging subject at the best of times and with all the pressures and concerns impacting our communities – from global conflict to economic uncertainty – these are certainly not the best of times.
Something that I have found helpful in responding to this challenge is the work I was involved in last year reflecting on the significance of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Despite the continued fragility of that peace settlement and the unfinished work of reconciliation, it is worth reminding ourselves how transformative that agreement was in bringing an end to three decades of cycles of devastating violence, making it possible for enemies to work together and creating a space in which we could begin to shape a new vision for a shared future. It was rightly held up as a beacon of hope for societies in conflict around the world.
It sought to honour all those who had been killed or injured, and their families, through a firm dedication to
“the achievement of reconciliation, tolerance, and mutual trust, and to the protection and vindication of the human rights of all”. It talked about partnership, equality and mutual respect as the basis of relationships, accompanied by a total and absolute commitment to democratic and peaceful means of resolving differences. In the border area where I live, the physical landscape was transformed in the postagreement period with the removal of the military presence and infrastructure, and the gradual disappearance of the no-go areas that had been accepted as part of life when I was a child, and the bombings and bomb-scares that regularly interrupted our plans and routines.
Looking back, we can see that friendship was central to this transformation, creating the space in which a vision and hope for peace could begin to grow and spread. What often comes to mind are the high-profile, iconic friendships that crossed political and identity divides. The example, and the ripple effect, from these friendships undoubtedly had a profound impact, but there were also many more examples in local communities that did not attract headlines but helped to make the work of peace possible.
Speaking to groups about the pressures that are impacting on relationships at this time, particularly on inter faith relationships in the context of what is happening in Israel and Palestine, it has been encouraging to focus our attention on how we can hold on to friendships, and establish new ones, at times of turmoil and to remind ourselves that this is not insignificant.
In this edition you will find reflections on many of the different ways in which our member churches are seeking to work together for the healing and transformation of relationships. The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – Go and do likewise – brought to us by the churches of Burkina Faso, has been particularly poignant this year. Our neighbours in Burkina Faso speak out of a context of violence and insecurity that is spreading around the world, challenging us to respond courageously, but also with great sensitivity, striking a balance between speaking out in line with our values and listening to other perspectives.
A question that keeps coming up in all our conversations is: who needs to be included? We hope that the stories shared in this magazine will help you to respond to that question and identify opportunities to offer a hand of friendship.
Dr Nicola Brady, General Secretary Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.
Download
CTBI Spring 2024 Magazine (PDF, 7.6MB)
