Hare Krishna, please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I hope you are well.
I am writing to report the following ecstatic news from the UK:
This evening devotees from Canterbury, England, attended a lecture by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who is the most senior cleric of the Church of England and the head of the Anglican Communion (an organization with 85 million members worldwide).
The lecture was based on (and named after) the Archbishop’s new book, “Reimagining Britain”, which aims to describe how Britain can use social and economic reform to create a society more in line with Christian values.
During the Q&A which followed, the devotees introduced themselves in front of an audience of hundreds, and asked how the Archbishop envisaged translating social change into widespread God consciousness for the general mass of people, given that people’s suffering comes primarily from forgetfulness of their relationship with God. Holding up a copy of Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1 for all to see, they invited him to receive Srila Prabhupada’s books, which would explain how it could be done.
At the end of the lecture, by the grace of Sr Sri Guru and Gauranga, the devotees were able to approach the Archbishop and give him a copy of Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1 and an invite to their Sunday Love Feast. We hope you will join us in praying that the Archbishop reads the books scrutinizingly.
The devotees have managed to culitvatre a nice relationship with the church – last year the annual UK Padayatra began with a blessing from the Dean of Canterbury at the gates of Canterbury Cathedral.
Sankirtan yajna ki jai!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
From your servant,
Mantra Caitanya das