Some say there is noticeable pollution even in the game preserve near Nairobi where the Fifth Assembly of the World Council of Churches was held from November 23 through December 10, 1975. Many delegates squeezed a trip by minibus into their busy schedules to see the African animals and thus prove to the people back home that they had been in the "African Jungle". Most were able to see all sorts of birds, monkeys and deer, but not many were successful in seeing such wild animals as lions and tigers. In 1967 I visited a game preserve not far from Nairobi and saw a group of lions ravenously devouring some zebras. One can think of various reasons for this change. Our guide indicated that the many tourists who drive cars have pushed the animals into the interior of the preserve. The extension of Western technology (sometimes adopted by the Japanese, since I saw a Toyota in the game preserve) has affected even the life and behaviour of African wild animals. One has to search deeply in the jungle to see what is alive.

This was also true of the Fifth Assembly. The Assembly itself was a big jungle. We were happy to see the quantitative extent of the Assembly as reflected in the statistics: some 2,300 people altogether, 676 delegates representing nearly 290 member churches from 100 countries, roughly 80 percent of them attending a WCC Assembly for the first time. Among the delegates 42 percent were laity; in Uppsala in 1968 the figure was 25 percent. There was also a notable increase of women among the delegates; 152 (22.5 percent) as compared with 9 percent at Uppsala. Although 62 (10 percent) youth under 30 were among the delegates, generally, the voices of the young people were not heard in the Assembly. To be sure, there were some 150 active young people serving as stewards, but they were mainly utilised like domestic servants. In this connection I must confess I saw some paternalism in the treatment of the youth since so many of the stewards were assigned to the members of the WCC staff family. I do see the meaning of ecumenical training as a type of family training, but this should be kept within bounds.

Thus, more than the previous Assembly Nairobi contained more variety and diversity. This was true not only in terms of the participants but also in terms of the subjects with which the Assembly had to deal. The length of the agenda and the number of issues with which the World Council of Churches must deal has become so great that there is a danger of oversimplification, that is, treating broad subjects superficially without focusing on the vital point. In this connection it is appropriate to quote the three basic criteria pointed out in the Report of the Programme Guidelines Committee. They are 1) the quality of a truly ecumenical fellowship, 2) the incarnation of our faith, and 3) the struggle for true humanity. We do not have enough space to elaborate on these criteria here, yet it is a very important task of the next Central Committee to draw up the priorities and qualitative guide lines for the ecumenical movement. Furthermore, this task of setting the priorities should not be done primarily in view of the financial crisis of the council, but mainly in terms of the urgency of the world situation in the light of the demands of the Gospel.

There were several factors which made it difficult for the participants from the Third World to speak precisely and concretely to the various social and political issues before the Assembly. In many sections the participants were told that the report of the section would not deal with issues of specific countries; all were asked to bring concrete issues to Policy Reference Committee III which insisted that specific issues to be included in the committee’s agenda be presented at the committee’s open hearing. Many, including myself, who wished to attend the open hearing of the committee, found that they had to attend or conduct other sessions at that time and were not able to attend that open hearing. As a result, a statement on human rights in Asia was presented from the floor at the very last stage while a statement on human rights in Latin America received a much more thorough treatment since this was discussed in the committee with the aid of the staff of the CCIA. The issue was not Asia versus Latin America. The problem was the fair handling of the agenda and the willingness on the part of the Assembly staff and officers to pick up urgent issues regardless of how controversial they might be. In Asia during the last few years the issue of human rights has been such a crucial and urgent issue. The churches repeatedly held consultations on both regional and national levels and issued statements. We had hoped that the ecumenical fellowship would show strong solidarity with those who have been suffering because of their courageous efforts for human rights issues in Asia. But this could not be brought about despite the strenuous efforts of the small group of Asians. What a brutal reality the ecumenical jungle is, affected as it is by the methods of efficiency and the power of material resources!

In this regard, I would like to express my profound appreciation to the leadership of MM. Thomas who not only chaired the Assembly in a pleasant manner with his appealing Indian spirituality but also stood firmly on the issues of social justice and human rights in Asia such as the absence of four Korean participants in the Assembly. Indeed, he has made a visible demonstration of what ecumenical commitment is through his untiring chairmanship not only in this Assembly but also during the difficult seven years from Uppsala to Nairobi.

Although the Assembly itself was a complex jungle in which so many diversified forces were operating, there were certain common characteristics which should be positively noted. They can be summarised under the following points.

The assembly as celebration

More than ever before the Assembly became an occasion of celebration and common worship. At Uppsala the subject of worship became one of the themes of the six sections for the first time. (See section 5, Uppsala Report). There was the immense joy of God’s people who have been scattered into the various parts of the world and had come together to join in the common act of worship. In view of the tension and polarisation which the churches in the various parts of the world including the World Council is experiencing, it was especially significant to have this personal and direct experience of common worship.

This time the Worship Committee was appointed two years before the Assembly to prepare materials to be used at the Assembly. Cantate Domino, the Assembly worship booklet, was published in advance of the Assembly as a special issue of Risk. It contained acclamations and litanies on the theme of each of the six sections. One of the most popular songs which was frequently used and sung again at the closing ceremony was related to the main theme of the Assembly, "Jesus Christ Frees and Unites"; it was written by Fred Karn and composed by Doreen Potter. It certainly reflected the concern of the Assembly participants.

Help Us Accept Each Other
Help us accept each other as Christ accepted us;
Teach us as sister, brother each person to embrace.
Be present Lord among us and bring us to believe
We are ourselves accepted and meant to love and live.
Teach us, 0 Lord, your lessons, as in our daily life.
We struggle to be human and search for hope and faith.
Teach us to care for people, for all - not just for some,
To love them as we find them or as they may become
Lord, for today’s encounters with all who are in need.
Who hunger for acceptance, for righteousness and bread,
We need new eyes for seeing, new hands for holding on:
Renew us with your spirit; Lord, free us, make us one!

(Cantate Domino No.137)

The report of Section I on "Confessing Christ Today" touched on the corporate act of worship in the following:

"Those who take part in the life of Christ and confess him as Lord and Saviour, Liberator and unifier, are gathered in a community of which the sustainer is the Holy Spirit. This communion of the Spirit finds its primary aim and ultimate purpose in the glorification of the Triune God. The doxology is the supreme confession which transcends all our divisions."

Here we acknowledge the contributions of both the Orthodox Church and the African Church in enriching the worship life of the Nairobi Assembly. To be sure, what was presented was simply a part of the rich potential of those churches. Yet the doxological character of the Orthodox Church provided enriching and sustaining nourishment to the Assembly participants, while the African rhythmic expression of worship with drums and dance made the worship come alive in the African cultural soil.

In this sense it was fitting that the Assembly drew up the message to the churches in the form of a litany rather than a letter; this litany may be utilised in local Christian communities throughout the world.

Christ and culture

If we look back at the Nairobi Assembly as a whole, despite its complexity one hears some basic concerns here and there. One is the question of Christ and culture, and the other is the place of the church in the struggle for humanisation. There was a clear recognition of the age-long associations between Christianity and Western culture and encouragement to discover diversified ways to respond to the power of the Gospel utilising the gifts of the culture God has given to each people. The report of Section II on "What Unity Requires" says:

"The Church’s oneness has to include and to transcend every culture, but the Gospel cannot be wholly separated from those cultures through which it has in fact come to us. For the sake of witnessing to the Gospel of Christ the Church is free to ground itself firmly in the culture and life style of every’ people to whom it is sent. Otherwise it would die like a potted plant with no roots in the local soil, rather than find life as a seed which dies to bear fruit. There is no single culture peculiarly congenital to the Christian message; each culture is to be both shaped and transcended by that message."

Although the question of cultural reality was discussed for the first time at a WCC Assembly, the issue has been discussed in recent ecumenical gatherings such as the Bangkok Assembly organised by the Commission of World Mission and Evangelism in 1975.

In order to introduce the Bible study of the main theme of the Assembly, "Jesus Christ Frees and Unites", the World Bible Society presented a drama on the prodigal son. Whether the choice of the text was suitable for the study of the integrating point of the two foci of the main theme is debatable. Yet, one thing was very certain; namely, through the dramatic presentation of the text according to the different cultural backgrounds of the people around the world it challenged the delegates to interpret the main theme in the different cultural contexts of the world. The report of Section III on "Seeking Community" discussed especially liberation from the attitude of cultural superiority and from self-sufficiency as follows:

"Sharing our Christian commitment indifferent cultural contexts we realised joyfully that Jesus Christ both affirms and judges culture. As our Jewish guest affirmed, Jesus was a historical person, sharing a specific culture. At the same time Christian experiences affirms that no culture is closer to Jesus Christ than any other culture. Jesus Christ restores what is truly human in any culture and frees us to be open to other cultures. Resources for world community are no Christian monopoly. We must be ready to acknowledge the presence of such resources wherever they are found. He offers us liberation from the attitude of cultural superiority and from self-sufficiency. He unites us in a community which transcends any particular culture."

At the various corners of the Kenyata Conference Hall, there were vivid exhibitions of cultural expression on the main theme of the Assembly. On the central wall there was a huge painting of a tree and boat against the African brown. This was done by a noted African artist to indicate the joint struggle of the people of God for the flourishing of the fruits of the eternal tree rooted in African soil. The exhibition on Christian art in Asia demonstrated the visible signs of cultural identity of Asian Christians. The pictures were taken from the book on Christian Art in Asia, edited by Masao Takenaka, published just before the Assembly by Kyo Bun Kwan in association with the Christian Conference of Asia. There was also a striking sculpture by a Brazilian artist. The artist has expressed Christ in suffering as he is identifying himself with those who are severely oppressed and bitterly persecuted for human rights. He has made this moving art work through his experience of imprisonment and torture. It has come out of a uniquely Latin America experience and expression, yet I felt it has a universal significance.

Wider ecumenism

One of the controversial issues raised in the Assembly was related to the question of joint collaboration with people of other faiths and ideologies. This was discussed primarily in Section III which had the title, "Seeking Community - The Common Search of People of Various Faiths, Cultures and Ideologies." Against the background of the urgent world situation which has brought such problems as limitation of natural resources, the gap between the rich and the poor, population explosion, and destruction of environment to the fore, the urgent need of joint collaboration with the people of other faiths and ideologies was recognised. Since Uppsala the World Council has set up a portfolio on dialogue and promoted dialogue with people of other faiths and ideologies. There have been a significant series of consultations with leaders of other faiths and ideologies; reports have been published. At Nairobi, five representatives of the world religions attended as guests and made a valuable contribution. There was rather wide agreement on the need of dialogue. The report of Section I described this point in the following way:

"We believe that in addition to listening to one another, we need to know what people of other faiths and no faith are saying about Jesus Christ and his followers. While we cannot agree on whether or how Christ is present in other religions, we do believe that God has not left himself without witness in any generation or any society. Nor can we exclude the possibility that God speaks to Christians from outside the church. While we oppose any form of syncretism, we affirm the necessity for dialogue with men and women of other faiths and ideologies as a means of mutual understanding and practical cooperations".

In the debate in Section III, two factors were stressed by many of the Asian participants. One is related to a practical concern and the other to a theological issue. One is the recognition of the urgency of joint collaboration and action with people of other faiths and ideologies for the sake of survival and betterment of an interdependent world. This was stated as follows:

"Many stressed the importance of dialogue in view of the necessity of cooperation of all people in order to establish a righteous and peaceful society. Dialogue helps people in their search for community. Authentic dialogue is a human and Christian undertaking in its own right. It should not be seen as an alternative for mission and it does not compromise our faith."

In many case it was rather irritating to see that the discussion was dominated by a relatively small group of Christians who still live in a Christendom situation where Christianity enjoys a majority position and regard the people of other faiths and ideologies as the objects of evangelism.

This is the reason why we see contradictory expressions between the main body of the report of Section III and its preamble which was added later at the request of Western Christians.

The second issue was a theological one. In the continuing process of religious renaissance in Asia, many people outside of the church have been acknowledging the person and work of Jesus Christ. This was concretely demonstrated in the outstanding book by M.M. Thomas, Acknowledged Christ in Indian Renaissance (London, 1973).

This means that Jesus Christ has been working as a ferment among the people of other faiths. Also our Hindu guest pointed out that "insights from religions like Hinduism and Buddhism are working as a ferment among some Christians and others in Europe, the USA and elsewhere". This does not mean to abandon the specific claim of a particular religion and to make an amalgamation of compromises. On the contrary, on the basis of the ultimate commitment, one has to take seriously the reality of cross-fertilisation of various religions and cultures in history and see the positive meaning and implications for the sake of the common search of world community.

Three Easts

While some Christians from the West hesitated to have joint collaboration with people of other faiths and ideologies because of the fear of syncretism, those of us from the East are quite open for such dialogue and cooperation. I can see three kinds of "Easts" which are beginning to find a common ground each in its own way, quite different from the West. First is the geographical East; namely, Asia Christians who have been living as a minority group among the people of other faiths. The second is the political East; that is, those Christians who have been living in the socialist countries where dialogue with the people of Marxist ideology is a constant concern. Thirdly, we count the ecclesiastical East; those Christians who have the traditions of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Church. Despite the differences among them they share common characteristics; namely, they take a positive attitude towards open dialogue and joint collaboration with the people of other faiths and ideologies. At the present time they still live at a distance both geographically and culturally, but through closer relationship and mutual stimulation they may contribute a unique theological understanding different from that of the West in relation to their encounters with nature and the people around them.

Struggle together for humanisation

As I stated above, due to various reasons such as the financial crisis of the WCC, fear of polarisation and political pressure upon the delegates by various national governments, etc., the Nairobi Assembly was a rather quiet Assembly. Yet there were several important statements on social issues, e.g. Human Rights in Latin America and Nuclear Collaboration with South Africa. The latter criticised several multinational companies such as General Electric, Westinghouse and Siemens, etc. for their involvement in the financing and construction of nuclear-powered generating plants in South Africa. There was also a statement on religious liberty in the USSR which brought up a critical inquiry into the internal issues of the USSR for the first time.

Throughout the reports we see the continuous emphasis on the liberation and humanisation of the poor and oppressed people. The Section VI report, after discussing the issue of development points out three specific approaches:

1) joining hands with all who are engaged in the task of organising the poor in their fight against poverty and injustice;

2) educating the more privileged to cooperate in the establishment of new socio-economic orders with changed wealth and income distribution patterns, enabling a production pattern and use of technology favouring the needy;

3) searching for new structures for human beings to live together injustice, freedom and peace.

The report of Section V which dealt with" The Structures of Injustice on the Struggle for Liberation" focused on the understanding and protection of hum4n rights. After expressing the basic Christian concern on universal human rights, it depicted Christian responsibility as follows:

"Thus God’s will and his love are intended for all and the struggle of Christians for human rights is a fundamental response to Jesus Christ. That Gospel leads us to become ever more active in identifying and rectifying violations of human rights in our own societies and to enter into new forms of ecumenical solidarity with Christians elsewhere who are similarly engaged. It leads us into struggle of the poor and the oppressed for their full human rights and frees us to work together with people of other faiths or ideologies who share with us a common concern for human dignity."

The report goes on to deal with the specific aspects of human rights such as the right to basic guarantees for life, the rights to self- determination and to cultural identity and the rights of minorities, the right to participate in decision-making within the community, the right to dissent and the right to religious freedom, etc.

All of these are very good statements; as such, there is nothing wrong with them. Yet, there are two issues which must be pointed out.

1) These statements are general statements without the concrete analysis of the historical situation. It tends to give an abstract image while concrete cases of the human rights struggle are stories involving human flesh and blood. Moreover, the causes of the human rights issue must be seen in the light of the concrete analysis of historical process. Such general statements and declarations may remain as ecumenical documents but will not become a vital power in history since they lack the historical analysis and perspective related to concrete situation. For example, I wished very much, that the reports of many of the national and regional consultations on human rights held in recent years which dealt with the issues in historical perspective would have become the starting point of the ecumenical approach on human rights rather than making general statements on human rights and then asking the churches to implement them in a concrete situation.

2) The second problem in regard to such abstract statements is that they tend to provide a feeling of satisfaction under a general slogan rather than to take seriously concrete involvement in the struggle for human rights in one’s own country. The abstract statement even if it critically stated tends to become no one’s business. This was clearly illustrated when the Asian statement on human rights was proposed from the floor. The proposal concretely spelled out the specific situation of a particular country. If the problems had been stated in general terms, no one would have raised a question. Yet because they are stated concretely, those people whose countries were named became self- defensive. They preferred that the statement be stated in general and abstract terms without specifically mentioning the name of their country.

In the opening address, Robert McAfee Brown pleaded that we struggle together in Christ for liberation and unity. In reading through the report of the sections, the emphasis on the struggle appears repeatedly. I do hope sincerely that this will not remain at the level of abstract statement but be incarnated in the concrete reality of this world. The process of theological formation also exists in this context as it was stated in the Report of Section IV.

"We learn theology by reflecting on the total revelation of God and its relationship to our experiences in church, cornmunity and society. If we engage with Christian commitment in the divisions of society, the struggles for a fully human life, the concern for the liberation of certain groups of people and in the various power struggles, we gain fresh consciousness of God and critical awareness of His world."