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[quote][blue]The Relationship between the People and God [/blue]

by

Chief Rabbi of the UK, Sir Jonathan Sacks

“Friends, this is for me a profoundly moving moment.  You have invited me, a Jew, to join your deliberations, and I thank you for that, and all it implies.  There is a lot of history between our faiths, and for me to stand here, counting as I do the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York as beloved colleagues, is a signal of hope for our children and the world they will inherit.

Many centuries ago the Jewish sages asked, who is a hero of heroes?  They answered, not one who defeats his enemy but one who turns an enemy into a friend.  That is what has happened between Jews and Christians: strangers have become friends.  And on this, I think the first occasion a rabbi has addressed a plenary session of the Lambeth Conference, I want to thank God in the words of the ancient Jewish blessing, Thank You, God, for bringing us to this time.

I

You have asked me to speak about covenant, and that is what I am going to do.  We will discover not only a transformative idea, one that changes us as we think of it; not only a way forward for faith in the 21st century.  We will also find ourselves better able to answer the question: what is the role of religion in society, even in a secular society like Britain.

And let’s begin our journey at the place we passed on our march last Thursday, in Westminster.  It was such a lovely day that I imagine meeting up with my granddaughter on the way back and taking her to see some of the sights of London.  We’d begin where we were, outside Parliament, and I imagine her asking what happens there, and I’d say, politics.  And she’d ask, what’s politics about? And I’d say: it’s about the creation and distribution of power.

And then we’d go to the city, and see the Bank of England, and she’d ask what happens there and I’d say: economics.  And she’d say: what’s economics about? And I’d say: it’s about the creation and distribution of wealth.

And then on our way back we’d pass St. Paul’s Cathedral, and she’d ask, what happens there? And I’d say: worship.  And she’d ask: what’s worship about?  What does it create and distribute?  And that’s a good question, because for the past 50 years, our lives have been dominated by the other two institutions: politics and economics, the state and the market, the logic of power and wealth.  The state is us in our collective capacity.  The market is us as individuals.  And the debate has been: which is more effective?  The left tends to favor the state.  The right tends to favor the market.  And there are endless shadings in between.  
 [i]contd:[/i][/quote]

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