Archbishop asks Christians not to grieve, but hear 'Shepherd's voice' when faced with hostility

In a service to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Church of North India (CNI), the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, preached a sermon on the theme of unity and, in particular, unity in the face of oppression.

"The experience of being a minority, being marginal, sometimes literally being under daily threat; and the experience of an imperative to serve the most vulnerable at all costs seem most powerfully to summon us to renewed efforts to deepen our unity," said the head of the Anglican Communion worldwide.

"When we face dreadful challenges, persecution or hostility or mockery, and when we find ourselves in the middle of chaotic human suffering, we should not just grieve and we certainly should not panic: it is here that we may hear the Shepherd's voice," he urged.

The Archbishop also used the more recent example of those who had suffered violence in Orissa, telling the congregation about an encounter in Kolkata a few days earlier.

"I had the privilege of meeting with a small group of people from Orissa who spoke directly to me about their experiences over the last two years; their stories were heartbreaking, but they were also a deeply moving witness to the profound faithfulness of the Gospel – and this is one of the gifts that the church in India has given to the whole country."

The Archbishop also spoke on the significance of listening to others in the search of unity because if "we stop listening to one another, we stop listening to Christ. And whether this happens in the name of nationality or tradition or pride of achievement or purity of teaching, the effect is the same tragedy".

The Archbishop is on a 16-day tour of India at the invitation of the Communion of Churches in India.