Christians
have developed different ways to respond to—and interact with—other religions. I really appreciate a three-fold typology for
classifying these different interactions, which Adam Hamilton uses in his book,
When Christians Get It Wrong.[1]
(See my February 1st blog for a full
description of this typology.)
As I explained in my sermon on
“Other Religions,” I am persuaded by the “Christian
Inclusivist” position. This
perspective recognizes that salvation is a gift from God, which God can give to
whomever God chooses. This perspective
affirms that God endows humans with the freedom to embrace or reject a relationship
with God. But, more importantly, it emphasizes
the core Christian belief that God loves all human persons. Thus, it leaves open the possibility that
non-Christians may be reconciled with God and welcomed into life eternal with
God.
In my sermon, I conceded that there
may well be ways other than Christianity to the Truth and to the Divine. That’s really not for me to decide. What’s absolutely crucial for me, personally,
is the way, the truth, and the life that flows through Jesus Christ. I believe that through the life, death, and
resurrection of Jesus, God has shown me how to live faithfully and God has
proven conclusively that nothing—not even death itself—will ever separate me
from God and God’s love. It is important
for me to say that I am a Christian not just because I believe that ultimately
I will be resurrected and live in the eternal bliss of God’s Presence, as
important as that is. Not only that, but
I am a Christian because living and serving as a disciple of Jesus makes my
life richer and better—right now; right here on Earth. I can only fully flourish in this life, as
God intended, through my Christian faith and life.
I would describe my response to
other religions as one of mutual respect, curiosity, and “dialogue.” I really appreciate the way the United Methodist Book of Resolutions
describes inter-religious dialogue, “Rather than a one-sided address, dialogue
combines witnessing with listening. It
is the intentional engagement with persons who hold other faith perspectives
for purposes of mutual understanding, cooperation, and transformation.”
I concluded my sermon last Sunday by
suggesting that what may be most important about inter-religious dialogue is
that through such dialogue we may learn how to become better, more faithful
Christians. One of my favorite models of
this type of “learning dialogue” was that of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther
King, Jr.
Gandhi developed a form of peaceful
non-violent social protest, drawing in part on the teachings of Jesus that we
should “love our enemies” and “turn the other cheek,” when confronted by
violent aggression. Gandhi called this
new form on peaceful, non-violence, Satyagraha. Later, Martin Luther King, Jr. studied
Gandhi’s writings on Satyagraha,
and then used some of Gandhi’s insights to develop his peaceful, non-violent
civil rights movement.
Thus, we have Mahatma Gandhi, a Hindu, who
learned how to become a better Hindu, by studying the teachings of Jesus
Christ. Then, in turn, Martin Luther
King, a Christian, learned how to become a better Christian, by studying the
teachings of Gandhi (a Hindu). This is
all one big happy circle, and I think it is how God intended for us to respect
and learn from other religious traditions.
In my sermon, I promised to post a follow-up blog
and list some of the ways in which I, personally, have become a better, more
deeply committed Christian by learning from other religions. Here are three examples from my own life:
Ø
There are five pillars of Islam, and I believe
that I have become a better Christian by learning from two of those
pillars. The first is called, “salat,”
which is the practice of praying five times a day. There is something about the discipline of
praying five times a day, including a prayer before sunrise, which has inspired
by prayer discipline as a Christian.
Another pillar that I really appreciate is Zakāt, which is the
religious discipline of giving 2½% of one’s accumulated wealth—not just income,
but accumulated wealth—to the poor and marginalized each year. This practice strengthens my appreciation of
Matthew 25: 31-46.
Ø
I have learned a great deal about practices of
meditation from lectures given by Buddhist Lama Chuck Stanford of the Rime
Buddhist Center and Monastery in Kansas City, MO. (A “Lama” is a reverend in the Tibetan
Buddhist tradition.) By learning more
about meditation, my Christian devotional life has improved and I believe that
I have become a deeper, more committed Christian.
Ø
I especially appreciate the Jewish concept of Tikkun
olam, which is the spiritual concept of “repairing—or, healing—the
world.” Tikkun olam reminds us that God has gifted humans with the
responsibility to heal, repair, and transform the world. A rabbi friend once confided that he was
always perplexed by Christians’ seeming preoccupation with life eternal and our
tendency to ignore the important responsibility which God has given us to
cherish and repair this world. I think
my friend offers a very important corrective for Christian life and faith. While the promise of the resurrection and
life eternal with God is at the core of our faith, equally important is our
God-given responsibility and privilege to care for and repair the world.
[1]
Adam Hamilton, When Christians Get It
Wrong (Nashville: Abingdon Press,
2010, 2013), see chapter 3, pp. 32-43.
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