A commitment to work for peace in Luton

Living in a town with so many nations (well over 100) represented in a population of less than 200,000 the problems of the world are soon found in our midst. The recent war in Gaza has had its impact on community cohesion as our Muslim community have felt the pain of their brethren in Gaza.  Yet at the same time a small Jewish community have also struggled.  Holocaust Holocaust Memorial Day challenged us.  Wanting to give attention to the present suffering in the Holy Land, but without distracting from the commemoration of the dreadful events of the Holocaust and also more recent genocides, we laboured long to work with the communities to reach an approach that would allow all to feel emraced in their moments of need.  ( In Luton, Muslims, Jews & people of all faith commemorate Holocaust together ) 

We wanted another event that would allow us to focus on Gaza, but also make a longer term declaration of our commitment to work for peace in the town. So on Friday Luton Council of Faiths brought together represntatives of all the faith communities in Luton, Richard Bishop of Bedford, Kelvin Hopkins, one of our MP's, and our deputy mayor gathered to pray and commit ourselves to work for peace and reconciliation in our town.

We have made this commitment:

"We dialogue NOT to mix all religions into one. We dialogue simply to make friends. We are NOT about diluting our faith. We are about affirming and sharing our faith and religious identities. We, from different faith communities in Luton, inspired by our own faith, express confidence in ourselves and in one another to spread the way of peace and dialogue for resolving any conflict situations that may arise from time to time, due to what may happen locally or globally. We commit ourselves to be the eyes, ears and conscience of our communities in Luton. And therefore, offer ourselves as instruments of healing where there is pain, reconciliation where there is confrontation, calm where there is anger, sharing divine love where there is hatred. "

Its another step forward in our journey together, and one of which I am proud to be associated. There is somehting very good going on here.

Comments

[Bishop Alan Wilson]

Thanks very much for this story and the declaration. I'll be bearing it in mind in our parallel work building understanding and dialogue in Wycombe, Slough, Aylesbury and MK.