THE First Epistle of Peter was chosen as the foundational scripture for the 2022 Lambeth Conference. It was quickly discovered that a letter written to encourage and give hope to Christians living in exile and facing persecution in the Early Church should be able to speak loudly to diverse parts of the Anglican Communion today.

With its emphasis on finding joy and hope even in the face of suffering, the author of the epistle (by tradition, St Peter the Apostle) calls on Christians to be disciplined and holy while offering hospitality in a spirit of gentleness and humility. Christian leaders are called to be guardians and teachers of the faith, to shepherd the People of God, offering both comfort and leadership, with hearts firmly rooted in Christ and his resurrection.

The authors include contributions from bishops, clergy, and laity representing more than 20 countries, including Malaysia, South Sudan, Kenya, Pakistan, Uruguay, Sri Lanka, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UK, India, Canada, Bolivia, Ireland, and Palestine. From these various parts of the Communion, individuals reflect on the words of the epistle and what those words say to them in their own contexts. At the end of each section, there are questions addressed to the reader (or a study group) about how we might respond to Peter’s teachings in our own situations.

Reading the participants’ reflections and responses to the words of the epistle is both moving and humbling, as Christians facing persecution, corruption, war, poverty, and discrimination rise to the challenge of discipleship. I was particularly struck by a reflection from Palestine on Peter’s teaching to be living stones, and how pilgrims to the Holy Land go to visit the “dead stones” while ignoring the struggling Christian communities there today who are the living stones.

The epistle also speaks to those living in comparative affluence who often lack hope and are filled with anxiety and fear. Many suffer from a feeling of alienation: a lack of community and spiritual growth. These spiritual afflictions are addressed by Peter’s exhortations to hospitality, knowing who you are, practising humility, casting your anxieties upon God, and rejoicing in being God’s chosen people.

The authorship of the letter is a matter for scholarly debate, and many doubt that such fine Greek, with its rhetoric and philosophy, was written by a Galilean fisherman — and was it written for those facing physical or social persecution? It also contains some verses about submission and authority which belong to the culture of the time, and they do not go unchallenged; but, that apart, it is a deeply spiritual and beautiful letter that still has the power to speak to the Church today of what it means to be God’s people, who even, in difficult and challenging times, can be filled with hope, joy, love and peace.

The Rt Revd Dominic Walker OGS is a former Bishop of Monmouth.

Now You Are God’s People: Reflections on 1 Peter for God’s Church in God’s world
Justin Welby, Jennifer Strawbridge, and Abigail Harries Martin
SCM Press £14.99
(978-0-334-06564-7)
Church Times Bookshop £11.99