To All Clergy and Diocesan and Parochial Postholders

Dear Friends,

I am still here despite newspaper speculation supposedly emanating from 'friends' about my resigning at the end of my Sabbatical to become Dean of Westminster.

I am second to none in my appreciation of the significance of the Abbey and its potential but frankly the agenda before the Diocese of London and its parishes is so exciting that I am determined to be part of it and have no hankering to be anything but your partner in the gospel.

Part of the gospel agenda in London is to find fresh ways of relating to our neighbours who practice other faiths. An introverted and fearful church is a poor witness to Jesus Christ.

It is in this spirit that a new meeting place is being opened this morning at the St Ethelburga Centre by the Prince of Wales.

When we finished restoring the church we deliberately left a piece of ground behind St Ethelburga's anticipating the development of that part of the City and preferring to postpone the construction of a new hall for the Centre's mediation work until the aspect of the neighbouring buildings was clearer. It is on this piece of ground that we have been enabled by a private benefactor to erect a nomad tent made of goats' hair and Goretex.

As you know the first words of the oldest creed in the Hebrew scriptures are 'a wandering Aramean was my Father.' At the same time the 'tent of meeting' is richly symbolic especially for the faiths which in their different ways look back to Abraham.

The Temple is a high place of worship, the house is the place where members of the family gather but the tent which is a provisional not permanent structure can be a place of wider hospitality and meeting. Our intention at St Ethelburga's is to create 'a big tent' where all can feel at home and where the role of host can be assumed by different people in turn.

In particular I hope that the tent will offer an encouraging venue for work which has already proved fruitful. 'Scriptural Reasoning' is a method of interfaith encounter which has been developed in an academic context but which now also embraces those involved in various forms of ministry. The idea is to gather believers (at present, Jews Christians and Muslims) to confront some of the contemporary challenges which are common to us all and to search the scriptures of our own traditions, Torah, Bible and Quran for understanding and inspiration.

While the encounter is not polemical there is no covert agenda which minimises the differences between faiths. In the case of the three faiths which in different ways look back to Abraham it is our common conviction that there is no 'fourth position' from which our faiths can be seen as mere local editions of some universal spiritual truth. Syncretism is not the agenda and indeed the experience of scriptural reasoning for a Christian is often to sharpen the sense of the uniqueness of the incarnation as well as identifying much common ground. There are already two London groups operating.

Questions from conversation partners in the course of reflecting on the scriptures accountably to one another, often opens up the depths in one's own faith. Scriptural Reasoning is frequently experienced as leading to the superficially paradoxical but fruitful result of deepening conviction while increasing respect among the participants. William Taylor recently wrote an article about Scriptural Reasoning in the Tablet and if you are interested in learning more, please consult the web site www.stethelburgas.org

Later this morning I shall be welcoming Prince Charles to the Centre to inaugurate the tent and I should be grateful for your prayers that the venture may be to the glory of God and his Son Jesus Christ and a real contribution to building bridges among people of faith in London.

Richard Londin. 

Messages of Support Received for Today's Opening include:

Bono

St. Ethelburga's Interfaith Tent is one in which we all should find shelter.  It's sad to admit that few understand or are even aware that Jews, Christians and Muslims are all tenants in the house of Abraham.  All ethnic and religious tributaries erupt from the wellspring underneath that once undivided house. All bow their knee, tip their hat, or at the very least, call Abraham their biological fore father.

The way things stand now in the world of shout down extremism, it's hard to imagine such commonality could be whispered in reverential conversation.  The pilgrims have stood back too long and let the noisy throngs have their day in the mad midday sun.  As a result, the bloodied lives and territories of the Middle East have no real chance to rest in peace. The conflict has widened into a world wide conflict of interests and disinterests, away from  peace and common ground, toward a deliberate  dialogue of cross purposes.

In truth, this is a family feud. Always the worst. The 'tent project' is taking a crucial lead in starting a historic conversation where the three timorous voices of ancient monotheism, and the other great faiths,   are set in the context of what they have in common.  From this perspective the chasm and impasse of the present conflict in the Middle East and elsewhere look a little less daunting to clear.  Father Abraham might begin a smile to discover his family dare to dream in this direction.

Desmond Tutu

Dear Children of the divine,

May you all be richly blessed as you gather to inaugurate this wonderful enterprise.

May you and all of us know that we are members of one family, the human family, God's family and may all we say and do enhance our sense of belonging. We can be human only together; we an be safe and secure only together; we can prosper only together. God bless you all richly today and always.

WJ Clinton

Warm greetings to everyone gathered in London, England, for the launch of the interfaith tent project of St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace.  I am delighted that the Tent will be opened by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and that he will be speaking about religious freedom.

The 21st century is unlike any previous time in history.  Now more than ever, we recognise the importance of the ties that link us to other nations and other peoples - ties that have shaped our world into a truly global community.  Today we have an unprecedented opportunity to weave a strong fabric from diverse threads and build a multiracial, multicultural and multiethnic international society.

Sadly, not everyone sees our world's diversity and interconnectedness as a blessing.  As the terrorist attacks of September 11th in my country, and the devastating attack on the church at this very site, so painfully demonstrated, there are still those who place their differences above our common humanity, who prefer to demonize people who are unlike them rather than learn from one another.

By responding to a terrorist bombing with the creation of a center for reconciliation and peace, the supporters of St Ethelburga's made clear that hatred and discrimination have no place in today's world.  And 'The Tent', with its aim of bringing together people of various faiths to explore their traditions and engage in meaningful dialogue, is a wonderful step toward encouraging others to embrace our diversity, respect our differences, and unite around our shared dreams and values.  I think it is particularly fitting that you have chosen to focus on religion as a means to replace conflict with understanding.  As it says in the Koran, Allah created nations and tribes that we might know one another, not that we might despise one another; the Hebrew Torah warns never to turn aside the stranger, for it is like turning aside the most high God; and the Christian Bible tells us that we should love our neighbors as ourselves.

With best wishes for a memorable event and for much success in your important mission.

St Matthew's, Westminster: www.stmw.org

For further information: www.london.anglican.org