The name Nathan Söderblom is relatively unknown today, but 100 years ago he was a well-regarded Lutheran church leader. Söderblom (1866-1931) was ordained a priest in the Church of Sweden in 1893. After teaching for a number of years, he was chosen as Archbishop of Uppsala in 1914. During World War I he worked tirelessly on behalf of prisoners of war and displaced persons. He is best remembered for his work in inter-church cooperation. We tend to think of the ecumenical movement as a fairly recent occurrence, but its beginnings lie in the efforts of Söderblom and Anglican Dean (later Bishop) George Bell during and after the war. In 1925 Söderblom began the Universal Christian Council for Life and Work which was one of the predecessors of the World Council of Churches. In 1930 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

It’s important to remember inspiring people like Söderblom. We can be like Söderblom even though most of us are never going to be Archbishops or the like. For example, Söderblom thought it was important for churches to talk to each other about the faith. That’s something we can do in our everyday life: we can talk to other believers about our faith. I have observed that people may talk to each other about their various churches, but it is rare to have a conversation about what they believe. That’s a shame, because we miss out on the understanding others have. It would be good for us to discuss our faith with others more deeply.

Read Ephesians 4:1-6 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne