More links, opinion pieces, reactions, interviews on Margot Kässmann

Retired Bishop Bärbel Wartenberg Potter has an interview in Der Spiegel with the title: "Sexism has a jealous face". She describes Kässmann as highly talented and as speaking the kind of language that could be understood by people within and beyond the church. She goes on to say how Kässmann was not afraid to make herself vulnerable but then also says that women have less experience of coping with public failure than men and that woemn's failure is often much more harshly judged than men's. Women, particularly in leadership roles are still pioneers in the church. She goes on to say that if Kässmann returns to a parish she has many qualities that will be able to be used there.
Yesterday on TV there was already speculation abotu her going in to politics ...
Meanwhile there is an excellent reflection on evangelisch.de by Olaf Droste, a Bremen pastor who works in radio. His piece was broadcast this morning on Radio Bremen/NDR. He takes up once more her theme of never falling so low as not to be caught by God's hand and adds that no one says that god's hand is particularly well upholstered ... it's been a hard fall. He describes her resignation and his own sadness, even if he knows that other faces will now emerge to lead the church.
evangelisch.de also have a a whole series of articles and comments here. Meanwhile the EKD site has various reports on this weekend's EKD Council meeting in Tutzing and this report which made me cry ... There are of course a number of reports on epd. I have good friends working at both epd and EKD and I dare not phone them to see how they are, I can just imagine how hard all in communication and the adminsitration must be working at the moment. Take care out there folks and hope you get some sleep soon - maybe next week?

This is what made me cry - not sure why, but this has certainly been an emotional time

„Evangelisch aus gutem Grund“ – so hieß die Kampagne einer Landeskirche vor einigen Jahren, die sprichwörtlich geworden ist. Und so hegen an diesem Tag viele Menschen, die der Kirche nahe sind, neben den unvermeidlich traurigen auch wieder hellere Gedanken. Dankbarkeit, Traurigkeit und Zuversicht - es gibt Tage, in denen diese Gefühle ineinander greifen. Die Herrnhuter Losung des heutigen Tages stellt solcher Gefühlslage einen hoffnungsvollen geleitenden Vers zur Seite:

„Der Herr wird seinen Engel mit dir senden und Gnade zu deiner Reise geben.“ (1. Mose 24, 40)

Margot Kässmann was a bishop for more than 10 years and a national church leaders for three short months. I should be thankful that I have lived at least to see that. I sort of doubt that I shall see another woman church leader of her stature in my lifetime. Perhaps in my sadness I should trust more. A friend at work said to me today that she is still showing politicians the way to deal with these sorts of crises - quickly and straightforwardly - I did something wrong, I step down from public office. Tony Blair of course never thought he did do anything wrong. Silvio Berlusconi is busy rewriting the law to try not claim he didn't do anything wrong and Robert Mugabe is still depriving Archbishop John Sentamu of wearing his dogcollar.