By Mike
I always begin by asking, “What crises are affecting your community?” The hundred leaders from different religious backgrounds begin answering. From their overlapping answers, they quickly discern that many of the problems facing this world affect more than one religious community. Pollution, terrorism, human rights abuses and the ever-present threats of our digital age are challenges for religious leaders and their congregations across the spectrum. Helping these diverse groups find ways to work together has been the aim of one of the projects we have supported over the last few years.
Over the lifetime of the program, more than 1,600 religious leaders from 16 cities came together to learn from an equally diverse group of trainers. The trainers included Muslim and Christian leaders of various backgrounds and, of course, one Baptist.
In our ever-diversifying local communities—be they here in Asia or Yourtown, U.S.— I wonder what would happen if Christian leaders called together members of other faith communities and asked the question, “What crises are affecting our community?” Could we likewise discern that these problems go beyond our congregations? And what sort of witness would that be if we were to show others that we wanted to bring peace, justice and restoration to all communities?