Bishop of London gives sermon in Berlin amid Brexit uncertainty

In a sermon at Berlin Cathedral, amid ongoing uncertainty around Britain’s planned exit of the European Union, the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, has called for cohesion and solidarity between Christians across Europe. Bishop Sarah’s visit to the German capital comes as the Diocese of London celebrates a 20-year partnership with the Diocese of Berlin-Brandenburg. This weekend, the Bishop of Berlin-Brandenburg, Markus Dröge, will reciprocate by preaching at St Paul’s Cathedral. During the sermon, Bishop Sarah acknowledged the inevitable differences between our communities, but noted that followers of Jesus Christ believe that every human being is created in the image of God rather than in isolation.

The Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, said: “We find ourselves in turbulent times. The ongoing discussions around Brexit mean that many of us are living with a profound feeling of uncertainty. Deep divisions in our society have been exposed, and now we are faced with an ongoing political process which risks deepening them still further. “Our challenge in this time is not to pretend that we are all alike. We clearly are not. But to recognise, and hopefully learn in some small way to overcome, our intrinsic nature which pushes away others and tries to carve out territory only for ourselves.”

The growing affiliation between the London and Berlin Dioceses continues to be strengthened by clergy exchanges, which help to build friendships and foster understanding of our many similarities and differences. This November, the Rector of St Bride’s Church on Fleet Street, the Revd Canon Dr Alison Joyce, marked the Armistice Centenary by holding a pulpit exchange with the Protestant Evangelische Church of St Paul’s in Berlin. The services were particularly poignant as both churches had been destroyed during the Second World War.