For me it's the only way to be a Christian. From an ecumenical perspective they are not our own denominational interests and local concerns, but the concerns and needs of the worldwide body of Christ. I cherish my Anglican and New England roots, but they are only part of the rich mosaic of the oikoumene, people of all nations, races and creeds, much more diverse than the homogenous group with whom we usually worship. We are part of one human family that spreads around the globe, neighbors of many faiths, sharing life on this fragile earth, in need of solidarity and hope. Christians, a minority in the world, must engage neighbors of other faiths in dialogue, learn from one another and take common action to ensure the future of humanity.
Interreligious partnership is a deeper or wider meaning of ecumenism.
We are being led into what may be unfamiliar paths with implications that stretch our understanding of faith and humanity. It was a fellow student, an American Methodist who had grown up in Africa, who challenged my complacent American and Episcopal outlook. Our present pluralist society enables us to meet people of many traditions and faiths close to home. Ecumenical commitment requires us to be oriented toward the future, not the past. Our identity as ecumenical Christians derives from the future, from the vision of unity that is now emerging.