Sisters and Brothers in Christ: Once again I send warm greetings to all of you from the Lambeth Conference. Today some 650 bishops, along with many spouses, friends, and ecumenical guests, marched in central London to Lambeth Palace ...

in public support of the Millennium Development Goals. The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Prime Minister gave passionate addresses about the urgent importance of these goals and the need for world governments to keep their promise to do our level best to work toward them.

As we marched, all awash in purple colors and festive outfits, past 10 Downing Street, Westminister Abbey, and the Houses of Parliament, over the Thames River, Big Ben rang out eleven o'clock in its deep baritone voice. The chimes seemed to underline the significance of our Christian witness to the highest priority of these efforts to reduce poverty and human suffering in God's world. In our worship during the march we recalled the words of the prophet Micah, "what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

I urge us all to reflect on this particular moment in the Lambeth Conference, and convey its significance to our people. There are excellent articles and photographs available at www.anglicancommunion.org/acns <http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns>.

It is difficult for us here to learn fully what is being said about Lambeth in the secular press. From the sampling of things I have seen, it appears that the media is mainly focussing on the divisions over human sexuality in the Communion, the absence of numbers of bishops from some parts of the global south, the presence of Bishop Robinson outside the conference, and various warnings about schism This is typical of too much of the competitive media and of the reductionist sensationalism of our age. It is always seductive. But I assure you that the Lambeth Conference is infinitely more than this.

I want you to know that we are sharing together in deep Bible study and profound worship. We are engaged with the challenges before the church in mission and witness. We are encouraging each other in our ministries, discussing our Anglican identity and diversity, and learning fresh ideas. I deeply regret the absence of some bishops. We need their faith and voices. But I firmly believe that we are called by Jesus to love one another in the midst of our inevitable differences and to preserve absolutely our sacramental fellowship. We who are here, the vast majority of the Anglican world, are seeking to do this faithfully, honestly, and joyfully.

An special joy for me has been seeing my friend Barnabas, Bishop of Sittwe, Myanmar. We were in Bible study together in 1998 here and I have never forgotten him. He has been laboring in God's vineyard in a war torn and challenging land for over 20 years. Barnabas speaks little English but is a courageous servant of God uniquely eloquent in communicating Christ's love and grace.

What I see each day is a beautiful tapestry of God's church and an array of faithful, gifted, and courageous servants seeking to witness to the saving grace of Jesus Christ and to do his work of redeeming and reconciling love in the world. It is an amazing sight. I thank God to be among these faithful people and to be part of this council of the church. Let no one, absolutely no one, diminish it.

Faithfully in Christ,

Henry