We eat together every Wednesday and everyone brings what they can. In need of help in gardening, music classes, babysitting, school activities, cooking, moral support? You’ve got it. In this little village, people from all social classes, including me, do everything together. Getting ready to eat with the local community. I’ve never had more friends or more people to lean on, to rely on. I volunteered for everything and everybody: school kids, elderly, youth activities, music classes and neighbours. To avoid loneliness as a foreigner living in France, I became involved. Starting anew in a new place was my opportunity for a clean slate. I’m a writer from Finland and before coming to the little village in which I now live I was a loner. Molly, 41, France: Standing united makes you feel strong Three congregations merged into one and became living proof that people are indeed stronger together. Over two decades the congregation has grown and they have built a new church hall, which helps them to serve the community. The project worked because everyone’s heart was in it. Together we developed a pattern of worship that was a mix of our two traditions. A troubleshooting Methodist minister was drafted in and we formed a local ecumenical project, which resulted in the vast majority of the members of the Methodist chapels agreeing with the decision to sell their buildings and join us in a unified congregation. So we decided to act as a catalyst for unity. I was once vicar of a parish that had two Methodist chapels who spoke to us more than to each other. The amazing thing is that the individual parties usually get back far more than they put in. Everybody has to give up something dear to them, at least their independence, but usually quite a bit more. Unity means two or more people or groups or institutions joining together to act as one. Since that day, the song has travelled around the world, with contributions from an extraordinary range of choirs and solo artists.Geoff, 74, Sheffield: Three congregations merged into one is proof we are stronger together The song was recorded in London last August and was screened at Hackney More In Common at the weekend.
0 kommentar(er)
