Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan to teach his disciples that they have a duty to those who differ from them in terms of religious belief and cultural tradition. Jesus teaches that people who differ from us are not simply to be tolerated; they are to be respected, cared for and loved.

The targeting of the Muslim community through crude symbols and threats of violence by sinister forces undermines these Gospel principles of respect and compassion as well as freedom of religion which is a fundamental principle of a democratic society.

The placement of a replica mosque atop a bonfire is grossly offensive and raises tensions so soon after the unrest that destroyed property and severely impacted the lives of individuals and families. Christians of all traditions would be aghast at the wanton destruction of Christian imagery. Likewise, we should be appalled at the provocative denigration of symbols associated with faiths that are sincerely held by others.
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“We are ready to be co-workers with God in whatever tasks of mission serve the Gospel. We give glory to God for the gift of unity already ours in Christ, and we pray for the fuller realization of this gift in the entire Church.”

With these concluding words of the Waterloo Declaration, read aloud on July 6, 2001, Lutherans and Anglicans in Canada committed themselves to a shared future in full communion. They chose to treat differences in areas such as church order, faith expression and liturgical style as gifts that can strengthen unity. They chose partnership, mutual responsibility and a reconciled future over inherited division. Through common discernment, joint witness, shared ministry and so much more, we have learned again and again that unity in Christ is not merely an institutional arrangement, but a gift of grace that strengthens the Church for joining God’s mission in the world.
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We are faith leaders from across Alberta – from many traditions, many communities, and many ways of understanding the sacred. What we share is a conviction that faith, at its best, moves us towards one another – towards the neighbour who looks like you and the one who doesn’t. It calls us to lead with humility, to welcome the stranger, and to stand with those the powerful would rather ignore.

We also believe in pluralism – not as a compromise, but as a gift. Alberta is home to people of many backgrounds, many faiths, and many ways of living a good life. That diversity is not a problem to be managed. It is what makes our communities more honest and more compassionate. A public life that only makes room for some voices is diminished for everyone.
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The World Council of Churches Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing released a pastoral message entitled “Peace and Healing in a Time of Conflict: A Call for Reconciliation.”

The message notes that, across the world today, countless communities live under the shadow of war and conflict. “The scale of human suffering is staggering and still growing,” notes the message. “In 2024 alone, an estimated 160,000 people were killed in organised violence, while more than 123 million were forcibly displaced, the highest number in recorded history.”
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As we approach the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the twelfth anniversary of its illegal occupation of Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine, we once again address Canadian Christians with urgency, grief, and hope. These calls to action build on the witness offered in February 2024 when we released A Canadian Pastoral Letter on Ukraine, Canada and the Church. It arises from relationships of shared prayer, co-suffering, and discernment among Ukrainian Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholic, Evangelical, and other Christian leaders, together with the World Evangelical Alliance Peace & Reconciliation Network, The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and The Canadian Council of Churches. We write again because the war continues, suffering deepens, and faithful Christian witness remains urgently needed.
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Twelve Christian World Communions have issued a message to mark the shared date of Easter in 2025 by all Christians, in conjunction with the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea.

The message seeks to bear witness to the Resurrection of Christ and has been signed by General Secretaries and ecumenical representatives of twelve Christian World Communions. It calls for Christians to work for the unity of the Church, praying for “the Holy Spirit to move our Communions to live and walk together, in obedience to the call of Jesus that all his disciples may be one.” It also offers words of hope “at this time of great political instability in the world, when so many live with fear, suffering, persecution, famine, and other forms of instability and vulnerability.” All Christians are called together to proclaim the good news of “repentance and forgiveness of sins … to all nations” (Luke 24:47-48).
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As the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches on February 24, Christian leaders of Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical, and other faith traditions in Canada, together with the World Evangelical Alliance’s Peace & Reconciliation Network, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and the Canadian Council of Churches invite all Christians and people of goodwill to join in united prayer and action for peace.

This call to prayer and action—signed by 45 Canadian Church leaders—also acknowledges ongoing conflict elsewhere in the world:

“Without in any way minimizing or ignoring the suffering and sorrow caused by war and violence in other areas of the world, we stand together in inviting Christians and all people of goodwill to prayerfully consider how we are all called, and might contribute to, the achievement of peace in and for Ukraine.”
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À l’approche du deuxième anniversaire de l’invasion à grande échelle de la Russie en Ukraine le 24 février, les chefs chrétiens des traditions orthodoxe, catholique, évangélique et d’autres confessions au Canada, en collaboration avec le Réseau de paix et de réconciliation de l’Alliance évangélique mondiale, l’Alliance évangélique du Canada et le Conseil canadien des Églises invitent toutes les chrétiens et les personnes de bonne volonté à se joindre à une prière et à une action unies pour la paix

Cet appel à la prière et à l’action—signé par 45 chefs d’églises canadiens—reconnaît également les conflits en cours ailleurs dans le monde :

« Sans minimiser ou ignorer de quelque manière que ce soit la souffrance et le chagrin causés par la guerre et la violence dans d’autres régions du monde, nous nous tenons ensemble pour inviter les chrétiens et toutes les personnes de bonne volonté à réfléchir avec prière à la manière dont nous sommes tous appelés, et pourraient contribuer à la réalisation de la paix en et pour l’Ukraine. »
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