It is a rare sight for people of widely different nationalities and cultures to bond together with such warm affection, although total strangers to one another.

But such scenario was seen repeatedly in various places around the world from May to November this year. This marked the series of international conventions of the religious group Jehovah’s Witnesses with the theme “Love Never Fails.”





Delegates from 142 countries, most of whom were wearing their traditional national costumes, flew several thousand miles away from home to attend the conventions of their choice among 22 venues around the world.

Caucasians, Africans, Asians, Latin Americans and Europeans converged in every convention with a singular purpose–feast on three days of spiritual banquets made up of identical programs featuring Bible-based lectures, symposiums, interviews, and colorful video dramas, all designed to motivate the attenders to cultivate “love that never fails”, a concept lifted from the Bible at 1 Corinthians 13:8.

Most conspicuous in their colorful costumes were the Japanese, Koreans, Africans, and Mexicans, among others.

Breaking down barriers of disunity

What has made Jehovah’s Witnesses stand out worldwide is their remarkable unity as an international brotherhood, despite the traditional barriers of disunity such as nationality, race, language and culture.

Even during the height of racial discrimination or apartheid in South Africa in the 1950s, it was common for white Witnesses to be seen seated comfortably together in peace with black Witnesses in their Kingdom Halls and large assemblies.

In the Middle East, the media had reported what they described as the “uncanny” rapport between Israeli and Arab Witnesses.

While the tribal wars between the Tutsis and the Hutus were turning bloody in Rwanda, Jehovah’s Witnesses on both sides defied the common hatred between their tribes and did the unexpected — they risked their lives to shelter their brethren from the opposing tribe who were desperately seeking asylum from irate mobs.

The family-like bond among the Witnesses has also been seen during calamities and disasters. In the aftermath of supertyphoon Yolanda in November, 2015, relief and reconstruction volunteer teams were quickly mobilized by the Witnesses and dispatched to hardest-hit areas in Leyte and surrounding provinces. Within a few days, surviving fellow believers were provided food and clothing, some were temporarily relocated while construction volunteers were rebuilding their houses.

Brotherly love shines through once more

The out-of-this-world expressions of brotherly love among the Witnesses shone once more — this time in more peaceful and jovial settings – at the 2019 “Love Never Fails” International Convention series held in May to November.

The latest of these mammoth gatherings was held on November 1 to 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena and the adjoining SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, with a total peak attendance of 26,245. They included 5,500 foreign delegates from 68 countries and some 20,700 Filipino Witnesses from all over the archipelago.

Highly noticeable in all these conventions was the common gestures of affection shown by the delegates to one another, regardless of their nationality, language, and culture.

At the close of each convention this scenario kept repeating itself as if on cue: Delegates kept waving to each other across the stadiums, some in tears, chanting loudly, “We love you!” “We love you!”

While the foreign delegates were streaming out toward their buses on the way to their hotels, they would pause to hug the locals and heartily exchanged little souvenirs with them. Dressed in colorful Filipiniana costumes, the locals, from adults to children, formed lines stretching about a kilometer fronting the arena, raising colored placards or streamers saying “See you in Paradise!” This was an expression of the common belief of the Witnesses that Jehovah God’s Kingdom, with Jesus Christ as King, will soon transform this planet into a global Paradise where obedient humans will live forever in peace, happiness and prosperity.