Day 9 of Elijah Interfaith Summer School
Wednesday 12th August 2020 — Hosted in Jerusalem, participants zoomed-in from around the world
The question today was, ‘What are the challenges of religious leadership before during and after COVID 19.’
There were two religious leaders in each of our three sessions.
Sukhbir Singh (Sikh) and Swami Rameshwarananda Giri (Hindu) were the guests on the first session.
The link below will take you to a posting on Elijah’s Facebook page of the second session panel between Patriarch Mashalian ( Armenian Orthodox ) and Geshe Tashe Tsering (Tibetan Lama)
The final session was with David Rutstein (Baha'i) and Rabbi Yuval Cherlow
You may well sense as the days go on and we near the end I have less to say. If the Summer School was a 10-course dinner I am full and I am listening while I drink my coffee before the mints are served.
Perhaps what stood out today was Baha’i’s reluctance to use the term leadership. One of their principles is that all are equal therefore there is no hierarchy. There is ‘an administrative order’ which regulates the organisation requiring members to give five-year service to various committees. In one sense I have no difficulty with that as I believe in ‘the priesthood of all believers’ however as the other guests mentioned leadership emerges and is recognised by others whether the individual recognises it themselves.
Best day,
g
