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Rabbi Lord Sacks ‘honoured’ to be featured in art exhibition with faith leaders
Former chief rabbi one of several religious leaders in Nicola Green’s new ‘Encounters’ display launched at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square
Former Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks has paid tribute to an artist whose London exhibition opened this week with images that capture today’s unprecedented levels of inter-religious dialogue.
Sacks, who is one of several religious leaders featured in Nicola Green’s new ‘Encounters’ exhibition, said it was “an honour” to be involved, after the launch at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square on 17 September.
Green, who co-founded the mentoring initiative Diaspora Platform, unveiled her latest exhibit on Monday in a series of more than 50 portraits co-sponsored by the Pears Foundation, together with a new book titled ‘The Art of Interfaith Dialogue.’
Alongside Sacks, other notable figures who sat for the project include the Dalai Lama, Pope Francis, the former Grand Mufti of Egypt Ali Gomaa and former archbishops Desmond Tutu and Rowan Williams.
The exhibition, which runs for two months, includes images of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Zoroastrian, Sikh, Baha’i, Jain, African, Confucian, Humanist, Shinto and indigenous leaders, and is intended as a comment of dialogue and identity.
In the book Green argues that we are entering a new era of inter-religious relationships… formed by faith leaders across historically deep divides.
She says: “Often for the first time in history, these religious leaders have begun to sit down together and consider possibilities for cooperation, dialogue, and friendship. Together, they are leading the way towards a dialogue which respects and honours other religions, without compromising the truth of their own traditions.”
Commenting on the initiative, the Dalai Lama said: “I, too, believe that today’s leaders of various religious traditions are becoming more aware of the need for peaceful coexistence. I am confident that with more religious leaders actively involved in promoting religious harmony, we can all help in making this world a better place for everyone.”
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