African evening

At bible study today (pictured), we had again the Catholic archbishop of Tanzania and a united Methodist bishop from Africa, two sisters, a seminary professor from Canada, and me! 

The focus of plenary today was mission from the margins. The keynote address was from an indigenous young woman from Fiji. Her experience of wholesale condemnation of her indigenous culture was convicting and saddening. She ended that she is "poor, bound, unfavoured, oppressed, but is a precious child made in the Image of God. She has agency, is worthy, has a voice, and is free! She is free because she lives and walks in the Spirit! She is free and joyfully bears God’s Good News and hope as Christ’s disciple from the margins transforming the world".

In my small group, today was my turn to present an article - about the church's role in reconciliation in South Africa. I connected it to my study focus area - youth and young adults in America. The article cited that national catastrophes also shake the slumbering church to awake into conversation for social change. Specifically, I talked about debates on gun violence in the aftermath of school shootings in the US and the voices of young people speaking out. The church has the place and possibility to bring people together. Along those lines, I asked about spaces for social imagination and envisioning. How is the church to relate meaningfully and prophetically, yet with integrity, to socio-political situations in such a way that it does not forget the marginalized? In response to social problems, do we revert to denominational cocoons or forge new, local forms of ecumenism?

We Gathered as a pcusa delegation for dinner. We ended today with an African evening featuring Mercy Oduyoye (mother of feminist African theology) and John Mbiti (grandfather of African theology)!