Talanua

This morning started with a Talanua dialogue. I quote from Wikipedia:

The Talanoa Dialogue is based on the Pacific concept of “talanoa” - storytelling that leads to consensus-building and decision-making. The process is designed to allow for participants to share their stories in an open and inclusive environment, devoid of blame, in the hopes that others can learn and benefit from their ideas and experiences.

The theme of the Plenary was

Affirming the wholeness of life

A number of people were invited to the conversation. It was moderated by Tara Tautari from New Zealand. The others were: Iemaima Jennifer Vaai from Samoa, Ruth Mathen from India, Jocabed Solano from Panama, Gideon Byamugisha from Uganda and Rudelmar Bueno de Faria from Barazil. What a rich representation from different parts of the globe. And the sharing also became rich.

It all started with the Bible text of the day, from John 9 about how Jesus heals a blind person. It would have been helpful if one of the blind persons who are at the Assembly had been asked to share their story about how they interpret this text. Maybe the organisers had asked somebody, I do not know. But I missed that perspective.

Ruth Mathen speaking at the preassembly.
Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC

Let me share only a few things from the Talanua. I know one of the persons and that is Ruth Mathen. She is a charismatic and brilliant young feminist from India. Read more about her via this link. We worked together in the preassembly of a just community of women and men. And we are also together in the Ecumenical Conversation on Gender Justice.

Ruth said a few things that stayed with me. She spoke about the uncomfortable compassion of Christ. Not only compassion but the kind of compassion that is costly. And she spoke vividly about greed. How this is a poison that causes so much hurt in the world. So, there is a need for repentance – metanoia – on a personal, a communal, a social and an institutional lever.

When we shared our thoughts in the home group afterwards our smaller group agreed that this was profound. We need to understand that we cannot just show some sort of artificial compassion. If we want to be change makers, we need to be uncomfortable. Both in relation to the vulnerable in our midst but also in relation to the creation. It’s time to put an end to greed.