At the foot of the cross there are Mary and John standing together. And togetherness at the foot of the cross is the appropriate stance of the churches. And if they are there, their immediate commission (which has the urgency of a final wish, or indeed the near-compulsion of a last will) is that they should acknowledge each other as family, then do what members of a family do together. And basically what churches do together is to work where God is and with him for the unity of all humankind, indeed of all creation.

I cannot count the number of times on ecumenical occasions I have heard read St Paul’s picture of the body with all its interdependent parts. And that’s right, for the message still is relevant to all our denominations. But in the end ecumenism is not about the churches: it is about the world Christ came to save. It is saving good news (which we need to be embodying) that the whole of humanity, all creation in fact, is interdependent and no part or parts of that communal body can say to any other part of that body: "You are the weakest link. Goodbye."

When Jehu’s fellow-officers spread their cloaks for him as he mounted his chariot, King Joram vainly hoped he was coming in peace. When people carpeted the track with their coats on Palm Sunday, the authorities must have anticipated that Jesus would be a threat. When we remove our jackets and roll up our sleeves today, the Town Hall may not know what to expect. However, our approach is neither violent nor soft. It is rarely acknowledged that the term "regeneration" was coined in a conversation between our Lord and a local councillor! It is still His business, and we must be engaged, contributing in partnership.