As Osler noted in his blog, the New Baptist Covenant Celebration was truly something special. I'm not sure what I expected, but I found the past three days more inspirational, more affirming, more provocative than I ever imagined. President Carter and Mercer President Bill Underwood are to be congratulated for having conceived the idea of a convocation, where the goal was to unite black and white Baptists, as well as Baptists of other races, while celebrating the diversity in worship traditions and looking for ways by which we all might actively do the work of God on earth. They are to be commended for bringing their idea to fruition and inviting preachers and other speakers who challenged us to be more Christ-like.
And for those who criticized the Celebration as a political event for liberals, they would have been disappointed at the distinctly non-political character of the Celebration. That someone might characterize an issue like the environment as political doesn't make a discussion on the environment necessarily so.
Finally, the special interest sessions I attended were conducted by knowledgeable people who offered fresh perspectives on their individual topics. It comes as no surprise that Osler did a wonderful job as one of the speakers on the Engaging the Criminal Justice System panel--and I'm not just saying that because I'm his deacon (and responsible for his spiritual development, as he likes to remind me).
The challenge will be to translate the good feeling into action. I look forward to the next steps.
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1 comment:
Good thoughts about a really great meeting. It was truly an inspirational and positive gathering and I hope that its messages of unity and reconciliation will continue to ripple through Baptist life.
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