Faith Communities meet with Southampton City Council to sign Faith Covenant
The signing of the Faith Covenant took place at the Lord Mayor’s Parlour on 30th November 2022 by leaders from Faith Communities and Southampton City Council. The covenant was first signed over five years ago, on 2 July 2017. The Southampton Council of Faiths and Southampton City Council signed the ‘All Parliamentary Group on Faith Society’s (APPG)’ ‘Faith Covenant’.
Speaking at the relaunch of the covenant, Bishop Debbie recalled how she had last visited the Mayor’s Parlour, now the Lord Mayor’s Parlour on 13 March 2020. On that day, there was a sense of foreboding that lockdowns were coming and indeed they were a few days later.
Bishop Debbie recounted how she had spoken on Hope, as pictured in George Frederic Watts painting from 1886. The painting shows hope bruised, blindfolded, and plucking a one-stringed harp. With that one string, she could still strike a melody of hope. Bishop Debbie reminded us that at that time, hope was indeed fragile and in the coming months this was all too obvious as the pandemic caused fear and loss. And yet, volunteers stepped forward, risking their own health, to help others who were vulnerable. Hope was seen every time people helped their neighbour, every time people stepped out of their homes to help others, and hope was seen whenever people thought of other people with acts of kindness. They did it because people matter – that’s what’s great about the city.
Bishop Debbie then talked of the importance of being light in the darkness, if only in small acts of kindness, and care for the other, and that the collective acts of kindness created a sea of lights.
Bishop Debbie concluded by reminding us that we are daring to hope when we work collaboratively, believing that Southampton can be a city with strong partnerships making a difference. She encouraged everyone to be courageous in reaching into the darkness to take hold of the light and to be people of hope together for the city of Southampton so that every time a family is given food, a light shines in the darkness. Every time a family has shoes to wear, a light shines in the darkness. A common theme across all faiths and particularly in this Advent season for Christians, is that hope of light coming to shine in the darkness – recalling those familiar lines included in Christmas Carol Services:
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned…
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given…
The Christian hope is that Jesus came to be light in the darkness.
The event was part of a grant programme, Faith New Deal, funded by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
