Why would a group dedicated to Christian unity talk about justice?

Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue
Deuteronomy 16:20

A recent question on our Facebook page raised an issue that often comes up in our work. We hear it a lot. I'll paraphrase:

Since this page is dedicated to the pursuit of unity among Christians—especially between Catholics and evangelicals—why are you always talking about racism, immigration and so many other issues of life, dignity, justice and care for creation?

It's an extremely important question. One of the issues with unity is that people have different ideas of what it means. The very definition of "unity" itself has disunity!

If you ask someone who is an Orthodox Christian, they will probably hope your vision for Christian unity includes standing with them against the religious persecution and genocide in the Middle East that is currently devastating their churches. What kind of unity doesn't protect their very survival?

If talk to someone who is African-American, they will probably hope your vision for Christian unity includes healing the ongoing sins of racism that continues to fracture our churches and our society and leaves black bodies dead in the streets, rotting in prisons or suffering in near-perpetual poverty. What kind of unity doesn't advocate for their lives, dignity and equality?

The desperately poor people immigrating to the U.S. from Latin America are almost all Evangelical, Pentecostal or Roman Catholic Christians. If an asylum seeker is denied entry and is doomed to die on the other side of the border, then some statement resolving theological differences may not mean a whole lot to them—they aren't going to feel any warm fuzzies over church unity as they will only feel cold exclusion from (most likely) their fellow Christians. The group that steers this page is comprised of Evangelicals, Protestants and Catholics. Therefore, these are our sisters and brothers in the faith whose lives are at stake at the border. That means something.

So that is why this page and many other unity-seeking organizations eventually find that we have to be a voice for these other issues that exclude so many. The above is not an all-inclusive list, as there are definitely other issues that relate just as strongly.

We know from history that so many of the major splits in Christianity were related to—and were often a direct result of—serious differences in doctrine and theology. But what we often fail to recognize is that there have just as often been cultural, racial, ethnic, national and political reasons that have also  undergirded so many official and unofficial splits over the centuries.

I'll even take it a step father: I will go on record as to say that few splits—if any—have ever been purely theological. Every split is probably a combination of at least two of more of these factors.

Well, they say never say never, right? Given the thousands and thousands of Christian denominations, I can't say for sure that there has never been a split which hasn't been based entirely on theological grounds. However, I would suspect that even if it seemed like there were, there were also probably cultural or generational differences dovetailed into the mix somehow. Even some of the most famous splits, such as between Catholics and Lutherans in the 16th century Reformation or between the Churches of the East and West over the Chalcedonian Creed in the 5th century, may have been driven as much by different cultural approaches to language and inflection that could very well have factored heavily into what seemed like theological differences. In other words, it was like both groups were looking at the same coin, but one was describing the front and the other the back. What seemed like irreconcilable differences were perhaps more a difference in perspective rather than content. Again, I'm not suggesting that this accounts for every point of disagreement, but it has been suggested that this could be a factor—and even a major factor.]

So which are the church-dividing issues that matter most to you?  We'd love to hear your input and feedback! Leave comments here or on our Facebook page.

Confusion Over 'Social Justice'

The term "social justice" is very controversial in Christian circles, but it's based on a very simple concept.

It's really just common sense:

Social justice means that you want to live in a just and fair society. 

If you see people are being exploited, abused or held back by oppressive laws or other social conditions, you work to change them. It's hard to follow the fundamental commandment to "love one another" and not try to do something about these factors if you have power to change them.

A lot of people overthink this. They get into debates about whether Jesus' Kingdom is a "political" one, whether people are better served by individual charity or large-scale efforts involving the government or whether Jesus' Kingdom has anything at all to do with earthly laws or social conditions. These are all worthy topics deserving of robust discussion, no question about it. And good people may very well disagree on them. 

But here's the main idea:  You don't have to figure all this out to see that "social justice" is just common sense. If there is a law that hurts some people--or disproportionately advantages one group more than another--it would be a sin on me to just leave it in place if I have the power to influence changing it. My Christian discipleship would demand I do something to remedy this situation. When I go to the voting booth, engage in public debates or raise my voice as a citizen, I do so as a Christian.  I think all of us would agree, regardless of how to regard the Kingdom of God.

If my neighbor is trying to feed his family but waste water from my home is getting into his garden and making his family sick, it would be unconscionable of me to leave it that way. If I'm thinking as a Christian, I would realize this is not the love that Jesus invites us into. The same is true whether this mistreatment is happening to my literal next-door neighbor or to the entire city downstream from a large factory. "Social justice" helps us see that these same concepts apply whether it's on a small or large scale. "Social justice" helps us see that these large scale systems, laws and pressures can impact us in many cases far more deeply than specific behavior by individual persons.

Social justice is just another way saying "don't be a jerk"--but not just in your interpersonal relationships but also in the decisions you support for how society functions on a large scale.

You don't need an advanced degree in Christian theology to understand that.

When people oppose "social justice," I wonder:  How could someone not want a just society? Do you then want... unjust laws and systems?? See how silly that sounds? That makes no sense. Do you want inhumane, unethical laws? Do they want people to get away with poisoning our water, exploiting fellow humans or making it difficult for people to thrive? How can you "love one another" and not work to make the laws the most fair possible? 

Whether or not you think that Jesus's Kingdom has anything at all to do with those laws, it still absurd for a Christian not to do something to improve them if you have the power to do so. If you see your neighbor hurting, you do something about it. It's that simple.

For related themes and for partly inspiring the writing of this post, see the article Social Justice Is a Christian Tradition — Not a LiberalAgenda.

Social Justice, the Good Samaritan and Outsourcing Charity

A portrait of personal involvement.

The Good Samaritan by William Henry Margetson (cropped)

One of the most common arguments I hear against "social justice" is this:

Many Christians believe the Gospel calls us to get personally involved in doing charity. They argue that we shouldn't work to improve economic and political systems because that would be outsourcing our Christian responsibilities to a third party, such as the government. For example, they would say Jesus calls us to personally feed the hungry (Matthew 25:31-46), not to pay taxes so that the government can do that for us.

The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) shows why this is false.

As you know from the story, Jesus himself holds up the Good Samaritan as a model of a "good neighbor." The Good Samaritan helped the injured man he found on the side of the road. Indeed, he took personal responsibility to provide personal care for this man. No question about it.

The Samaritan "took pity," so he was emotionally involved. He provided immediate triage of the man's wounds using his own wine and oils.  He helped transport him using his own donkey.

But that wasn't all he did.

Remember that the Good Samaritan was a busy man who was in the middle of some business of his own. What did he do?  He paid an innkeeper to take care of this man during a period of time when the Samaritan could not be there himself. However, he promised to watch over this process and to return to make sure this work had been done to his specifications.

Jesus does call each of us to be personally involved, no question about that. Christian charity as Christ describes it is not the kind where we simply write a check and forget about it. Rather, we are to get viscerally involved on every level of our being. The parable tell us that there are many ways in which to do that.

The Good Samaritan continued to be personally involved even when he solicited the help of another person in this work. The Good Samaritan was wise to involve the innkeeper who had the time and skills to provide what he couldn't. However, the Good Samaritan didn't "check out" by writing a check.  Rather, he continued to be very much involved.

The Role of the Government

Many people misunderstand the role of governments in this way. They consider the government to be the "nanny state" which has taken our personal involvement away from us. Therefore they believe it is "more Christian" to do things on our own rather than involve the government. However, that is not a fair understanding of the government. Yes, we are indeed called to be personally responsible and be our brother's keeper. Just like the Good Samaritan, people may choose to exercise their personal responsibility by working together as a collective group or by hiring experts at strategic points. They stay attentive to the process to make sure the work gets done. An active, engaged citizen in a democracy has in no way diminished her level of personal responsibility to the "nanny state." She's going to personally elect representatives and then watch over them like a hawk to make sure they do the job they were elected to do.

I have never seen any moral difference between helping others as individuals, as a family, as a church community or as a whole society using the resources of the government. The only difference is the scale--and that is the point.  The government has a reach that no other organization has.  It is simply the best tool for some jobs. To not use that tool would be irresponsible if that tool were the best one to get the job done.

For example, if my neighbor falls off his roof, I will personally make sure he gets medical care.  However, I will not be the one providing that care. Instead, I will take him to the hospital. I am definitely personally involved, but I am not going to directly attempt to provide medical care--that would be dangerous since I don't have medical training. But I CAN be an advocate and make sure he gets to the hospital and gets the right people working on him. As you can see, there are times when involving others who have more skills than ourselves may be the more responsible--and yes, more Christian--thing to do than simply doing it ourselves.

That's what the Good Samaritan did. Because he didn't have the time, skills or resources (or a combination of all of these), he chose to involve the innkeeper. And remember:  Jesus holds up the Good Samaritan as a model of a good neighbor.

Likewise, when we work together with our fellow citizens to solve a problem together as a whole group rather than as isolated individuals, it may not simply be an option, it may actually be the most responsible thing to do from a Christian standpoint.

Why Do Americans Keep Saying "We Can't"?

Why do we keep telling ourselves that we can't do things?

I keep hearing it over and over again: We can't have . . . Universal health care. Public education that includes college. Higher minimum wage. Sustainable energy. Humane immigration reform. Safe harboring of refugees.

We can't. We can't. We can't.

Every doomsday scenario is predicted by these naysayers:  The economy will be ruined, taxes will go through the roof, terrorists will destroy this country and the poor will be worse off than ever before! It echoes like a chorus of lions, tigers and bears, oh my! If you believe all the hype, death panels will decide who gets to live and zombies will eat our brains out.

There are a lot of things that are difficult. There is much we haven't yet figured out how to do. But if we value something--and if we want to do it--we should set it as our goal and work towards it. We should at least try our best before coming to the conclusion that it can't be done. 

In his May 25, 1961, address to Congress, President John F. Kennedy said:

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth."

President Kennedy gives us an example that we should model today. It is empowering to name a goal and make a commitment to it. On July 16, 1969, the first human being stepped foot onto the moon. Had JFK not made a public commitment to this goal AND then put resources behind it, it is unlikely that it ever would have been achieved. This is what leadership looks like. 

We can apply Kennedy's words to our current national debate on health care, poverty, immigration reform, environmental sustainability and any number of other issues: We should say what we want to do, set a timeline, then focus our attention and resources to achieve that goal. I'm sure many people said Kennedy was ridiculous and that travel to the moon was impossible. Those are the same kinds of folk who today say that universal health care is impossible and that environmental sustainability can never be achieved.

Some of these challenges may be difficult, but most Americans like to believe they are good at doing difficult things. We went from horse & buggies to cars, airplanes and a-man-on-the-moon in a few decades while also fighting two world wars and pulling out of a great economic depression. In light of all that history, it's more than a little embarrassing when our first response today is "we can't."

The problem standing in the way is not a lack of technology. The real crisis is a lack of vision. We can figure out the nuts & bolts of a problem. What we need first is to have the courage to name our goal and make a commitment to it with specific numbers and dates.

When I'm faced with a problem, I don't waste my time whining and moping around saying "it can't be done" without even attempting to put a plan together. Yet, that is exactly what Americans are doing. We should be embarrassed that we have allowed ourselves to be lulled into thinking we can't do so many things that are, in fact, very do-able.

We know they are very achievable because most of these have, in fact, been done before. Other nations around the world are far head of us in transitioning to renewable energy and have long ago settled the universal health care debate. We know it is possible to significantly reduce, if not downright eliminate, poverty: Over a century ago, the vast majority of our citizens wallowed in industrial revolution-era sweatshops, but their descendants enjoyed a middle class lifestyle. Dramatic change in a short span of time is very possible, even though many people said it could never be done.

There will always be naysayers. People who have power and money tend to be conservative by the simple fact that they like things the way they are now. They are hesitant--if not downright hostile-- towards change, simply because they are doing well now. Their power and money gives them a big soapbox with a huge megaphone to project their message. They want us to believe that change is impossible. It's our job not to fall for it.

Let's save "we can't" for things like time travel, light sabers and crisscrossing galaxies at the speed of light. But who knows, maybe some day in the future those will be possible, too. These other challenges are, in fact, very much achievable.

When Disunity is a Strength

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, leader of NC's Moral Monday movement,
energizing the assembly during his opening address. Photo: www.advocacydays.org

 

Christian unity is not just a thing—it is an event. There is probably no other group that witnesses to this better than the Ecumenical Advocacy Days. Every year, on a weekend in April, Christians sponsored by over 50 faith-based religious societies, denominations and nonprofits, gather together at a hotel in Arlington, VA, to put their faith into action with a common witness.

These people of faith spend the weekend training their minds and opening their hearts for a task. They engage in fellowship, learn about social justice issues, worship together and hear testimonies of the cry of the poor. They develop skills in advocacy and lobbying. This culminates on Monday with the group marching through the halls of Congress, lobbying as a unified faith community on behalf of the poor, the vulnerable and the earth.

This year's topics in brief:

Supporting the Voting Rights Advancement Act [VRA] of 2015.

Throughout U.S. history voting laws have been used to concentrate power by intentionally stripping certain citizens from their most prized and powerful right: the power of the vote. The bi-partisan Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a great step toward eliminating legal barriers to the voting booth. Still after its passage several states continued to deny people the right to vote under the disingenuous guise of reducing voter fraud.

Defeating the Trans-Pacific Partnership [TPP] trade agreement that deepens inequality and prioritizes corporate interests over both God’s creation and people, especially vulnerable communities in the U.S. and abroad. The TPP is a trade agreement between the U.S. and 11 Pacific Rim nations, which will establish trade rules between these countries. It serves primarily the special interests of the privileged.

Pope Francis has called on nations to say no to ‘an economy of exclusion.’ All global economic policies, including trade agreements, should be evaluated on the basis of their impact on the common good of all, especially the marginalized, and the earth. The agreement has been negotiated in secret, largely by corporate lobbyists, and would legitimize unfair labor practices, destructive environmental activities and serious human rights violations. The TPP is harmful to people and to our planet. It threatens health, jobs, food security, and the environment in all TPP countries.

These topics seemed odd to me, at first. Don't get me wrong, I fully support them and urge others to find out more about them (I recommend starting here). What caught me by surprise, though, is that I didn't notice any obvious continuity between them. EAD is usually focused—there are so many problems in the world on any given day, but we resign ourselves to the knowledge that we can't be all things to all people. In light of this, the best strategy is often to pick a single topic and put all our energy into it. This year, we had two topics.

Yes, they are both timely, and yes, they are both important. But voting rights in the USA seems like an odd partner for a bill about international business trade. When we only have a short amount of time to make our points with the legislators office, it seems strange to have such a divided agenda.

Then it hit me: They are both about exclusion. We are about inclusion. Denying people the right to vote excludes them from their right to participation. The TPP, negotiated in secret, carves up the world's resources and leaves the vast majority of people out of it, especially those already poor. It makes perfect sense why the unified Body of Christ would cry out in pain over these issues so strongly.

As an ecumenical assembly, we hope for the Kingdom that will come when Christ reconciles all back to himself. We all pray as sisters and brothers to the same Father. Unity, wholeness, inclusion—these make sense in light of the Revelation of Christ incarnate into humanity, with all of us being part of that Body.

***

Ecumenical Advocacy Days is a powerful witness. Common stereotypes we are fed in the media and elsewhere in society will say that people from different religious denominations simply can't get along. Our experiences tell another story. As it turns out, the fact that we are different makes our witness so much stronger. Let me explain.

Christ inbreaking into history was like the big bang—an explosion that propelled particles far and wide in all directions. Catholics went down certain noble paths. Protestants followed other fine paths. Evangelicals found still more excellent ways to go. Yes, we all have moved in different directions. The Spirit has called us in different ways at different times. Perhaps we even took some wrong turns along the way. 

We believe different things. We worship differently. We sing differently. We consult different experts and even, in some cases, different holy books.

But still, we remained faithful and kept listening to the Spirit throughout history: We prayed. We wrestled with the demands of faith. We are always working it out in fear and trembling. And you know what?

We all ended up at the same place: Ecumenical Advocacy Days.

This is the miracle of Christian unity. This is the message we took to Washington, D.C.

You could say there is chaos in disunity. You could say the lack of Christian unity is one of the most glaring faults of Christianity. Some even use that fact to discount Christianity. But we are people of the Resurrection—we trust that God can transform even the most hideous tragedy into a victory. 

When people from different places, different churches and different walks of life and are all led to make the same pronouncements on matters of peace and justice, that is not chaos. No, there is another way to understand that: This, my dear friends, is a Holy Spirit moment. Our diversity then showcases our strength, because it is exactly because we are different that makes it so much more compelling when we do come together in unity.

It reminds me of the Rascal Flatts song: God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you.
 
We went down different paths and still arrived at the same place. This is robust, fully free diversity in reconciled unity. We are not united because we have fused together into some monolithic entity. Rather, we are united because we are going in the same direction, sometimes taking different means and methods to get there, but we can still be companions for each other along the way.

If you feel moved to talk to your legislators about these issues, consult the instructions on the link above.  Call, email, Tweet or stop by and visit your legislators to talk to them about it! Or better yet: Find others who are already doing this work and join your efforts to theirs!

Christian Unity in Full Bloom

Stop #1 on the Religious Unity Tour!

 

Ecumenical  Advocacy Days

 

In the halls of Congress. Photo: advocacydays.org.

 

A vibrant gathering has been taking place in Alexandria, Virginia, one weekend every year since 2003.  In the shadow of the Pentagon, Christians from dozens of traditions pray, study and act on a specific theme of injustice which has been chosen for that year.  Vibrant interdenominational worship and challenging discussions prepare participants in mind, body and spirit for the culminating event: A Lobby Day on Capitol Hill. On that final Monday, this ecumenical assembly divides up by Congressional district to advocate for the less fortunate.

 

There are over 60 sponsor organizations for Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD).  These include the official justice and advocacy offices of church denominations, religious orders and faith-based non-profits.  It is hard to define a group of people by a single expression.  Calling this "the peace movement" or a collection of diverse "social justice movements" only goes so far as descriptors, but for the sake of simplicity I will use these terms interchangeably in this post. 

 



Under the watchful eye of Abraham Lincoln, faith leaders discuss
 mass incarceration from a Gospel perspective with Congressional staff members.
Photo: advocacydays.org.

The theme for this year was Breaking the Chains:  Mass Incarceration & Systems of Exploitation.  Racism, for-profit prisons, "mandatory minimums," torture, solitary confinement, immigrant family detention, human trafficking and related issues were all explored in great detail and passion.  The economic and cultural impact of mass incarceration was shown in its debilitating reality.  The verdict is clear:  The prison system in the USA is in dire need of reform as it does not come close to living up to Gospel values.  Over 1,000 advocates participated in the lobby this year.

 

Click here for the Lobby Day asking points.

 

The event kicked off with impassioned preaching by African Methodist Episcopal and United Church of Christ pastor Rev. Traci deVon Blackmon, shown below:

 

Rev. Traci deVon Blackmon. Photo: advocacydays.org.

Bishop José García from the Church of God of Prophecy led the interdenominational worship on Sunday morning. He compared the gathering to the "school of prophets" mentioned in 1 Kings.
 

 

Bishop José Garcia. Photo: advocacydays.org.

Recordings of the talks are available here.

 

This is a multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-denominational gathering that includes mainline and evangelical Christians.  Participants and sponsors range from American Baptist to Christian Scientist to Catholic along with the full range of mainline Protestants.  Presbyterians are one of the strongest core members of this gathering.

 

It might be more curious to mention what is absent.  In the worship services, workshops and talks, there are few appeals for Christian unity.  There are no extended dialogues in which speakers try to convince the participants to reach across denominational lines for a common purpose.  It is mentioned, but very few people are spending energy making the case for Christian unity.  On the contrary, the unity of all Christians is simply a given. 

 

As a result, it is very difficult to talk about Christian unity in the peace and social justice movements.  Unity happens so seamlessly, so well and it has been going on for so long that it is puzzling to even know what to say, other than just to say that much.  It is quite an impressive tradition.  People get along so well, religious harmony is taken for granted and working ecumenically is second nature to most folks.  It is not shocking, novel or new to work across denominational lines for peace and justice.  In fact, it is assumed.

 

The ecumenical story here is that there is not much of a story.  Paradoxically, that is quite a tale to tell.

 

Visible Signs of the Kingdom

 

EAD is a faith-based movement.  It comes from denominations, and it comes from individuals.  It attracts people with certain theologies, and over time, it has developed its own styles, attitudes and faith perspectives.  A Catholic at EAD may feel she has more in common with a Mennonite at EAD, for example, than with members of her own congregation.

 

What is interesting is that it has not become a denomination in its own right.  Folks still pretty much remain as members of their respective denominations.  In this way, they act as salt of the earth.  They pray, study and act on the nonviolence of Jesus and the social activism that they feel called to through the Gospel.  They gather for mutual encouragement and collaboration in mission. Afterwards, they return to flavor their respective churches and communities back home.  When folks talk of Christian unity, often the first thing that comes to mind is the relationship between denominations. The role of non-institutional, organized-but-informal movements in my opinion has always been far underrated in their importance as a representation of the Body of Christ.

 

There is probably no other group that embodies religious harmony as well as the peace and social justice movements. Unity is just the context through which business is done for them.  Perhaps it is because when you work for social justice, you realize very quickly that you simply cannot accomplish much by yourself.  Helping to usher in God's Kingdom and promote peace, harmony and justice on earth takes a village and more.  It requires all hands on deck.  It has to happen through community; it has to happen through collaboration.  It means reaching out to people that at one time you would not normally reach out to.  Through that work, a unity has been realized that the official denominations have yet to fully implement themselves.  Still, a visible sign of the Kingdom has been seen, and we cannot now un-see it.  The Body of Christ clearly extends beyond the reach of denominational bounds, leaving to those denominations the task of figuring out how to catch up (we will see how those denominations are coming along in the next post!)

When it comes to the story of Christian unity, the peace and social justice movements are strong witnesses.  Perhaps it makes sense that this would be the first stop on my journey of religious unity.  This is Ecumenism 101.  Christians united for a common purpose is THE primary starting point.  Having written that, I have to also wonder if the peace and justice movements do not represent an intro to unity but are rather the experienced, advanced level students.  It is easy to get the sense that these folks are so far ahead of everyone else when it comes to unity, simply waiting for everyone else to catch up.  They accept and appreciate their differences and seamlessly work together with a common spirit.  

 

Part 2 of this Religious Unity Tour will showcase the National Workshop on Christian Unity: Exploring the work that denominations themselves are doing to express in their structures the unity of the Body of Christ.  Stay tuned for that post!

Religious Unity Tour in the Spring!

Presence. 

Participation. 

Sharing the Story. 

Representatives from Glenmary's Commission on Ecumenism will be hitting the road shortly to build bridges with various religious groups in many settings. 

We will be reaching out to religious movements, collaborations between faith groups as well as to individual denominations themselves.  Unity happens in many ways in many contexts.  While our focus is the relationship between Catholics and evangelicals, we will be interacting with folks across the Christian spectrum and even going beyond that into interfaith relationship building.  It promises to be a wild ride!

Without further adieu, here is the spring lineup:

Ecumenical Advocacy Days

As the name suggests, Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Alexandria, VA, is a large assembly of faith groups from many denominations that gather to pray, study and act for social justice.  Advocacy work on behalf of the poor and marginalized is one of the most longstanding ways that Christians have joined together in unity.  This gathering starts with weekend worship services and breakout sessions on topics and ends with a Lobby Day on Capitol Hill meeting with Representatives and Senators.  This year's theme is: Breaking the Chains: Mass Incarceration & Systems of Exploitation.  EAD began in 2003 and has since become the most noteworthy event of its kind.

It is powerful indeed when individuals cross denominational lines to meet with the offices of their elected officials.  I attended in years past, and I enjoyed roaming the halls of Congress with about a dozen other folks from my state.  My group included secular Franciscans, Lutheran and Presbyterian ministers, a Quaker, students, clergy and lay people alike.  We were all speaking with a common voice:  That our diverse religious and cultural traditions have all led us to virtually the same conclusion that our common purpose is to build a more just and peaceful world for all. 

National Workshop on Christian Unity

The National Workshop on Christian Unity is one of the largest ecumenical conferences every year.  It is in many ways part of the "official" dialogue between denominations.  It is already in its 41st year and in 2015 it will be in Charlotte, NC.  The groups have traditionally been Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist and Lutheran, but this year promises to have a large evangelical Christian component, as well.  

North Carolina Glenmary Missions

Glenmary has two mission parishes in Windsor and Plymouth, NC.  They are rural parishes a little over an hour from the Atlantic Coast.  They are having a 3-day multi-parish retreat coming up in partnership with non-Catholic parishes, and our Commission is coming to visit.  While this is not a national gathering like the others, it is worth mentioning because it comes up in the middle of all these other events, and it represents the kind of work Glenmary typically does.

One of the five core categories of mission for Glenmary is ecumenism--the unity of all Christians.  Through our "boots on the ground" approach, based out of our mission parishes, we reach out in dialogue, friendship and mutual service with Christians of other denominations.  This ongoing grassroots work is typically the focus of this blog.  The work is slower than we may want it to be, but the results are often solid and longstanding.  The unity of Christians often happens church to church, pastor to pastor and person to person. 

 

Festival of Faiths

The Festival of Faiths is a major national interfaith event in Louisville, KY, with speakers, meditations, tours and art features all week.  This year is the 20th anniversary of the festival itself, and it also dovetails into the 100th birthday of Thomas Merton, with related events.  It unfolds more like a week-long pilgrimage than a typical festival.  As a true interfaith event, it involves all of the world's religions.  There promises to be strong glimpses into Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Sikh and Native American traditions.

 

While there are differences between ecumenism (the unity of Christians) and interfaith work, I have found that they both require many of the same themes and attitudes for success.  Patience, understanding, true respect and openness to where it may lead are all crucial.  Glenmary has been consistently involved in this festival in years past, and we hope to be in the future, as well!

Southern Baptist Convention

The Southern Baptist Convention is an ideal time to deepen our relationship with the largest denomination in the regions where Glenmary serves.  This is the major national gathering for the SBC, so it is both a privilege and an honor for our group of Catholic missionaries to be invited into the Press box.  Glenmary has generally had someone attend this almost every year since the late 1960s.  We are still the only Catholic group to have this honor.  Our role is to observe and be present.  In the past our members have enjoyed both the warm Southern hospitality and many good conversations throughout the Convention.

Wild Goose Festival

The Wild Goose Festival is our connection to the emerging church movement at a major 4-day outdoor festival in Hot Springs, NC.  They describe themselves this way on their website:

"Wild Goose is a community gathered at the intersection of justice, spirituality, music and art . . . “Wild Goose” is a Celtic spirituality metaphor that evokes unpredictability, beauty, and grace."

While there have been Catholic speakers and many attendees in years past, we were the first Catholic group last year to have an official presence as a table sponsor--a small but visible statement that we want to be there and be in touch with this very dynamic, creative group that is doing much to envision--and actually fashion--the future of Christianity.

 

CADEIO Summer Institute

 

CADEIO stands for "Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers."  It is a professional association within the Catholic Church to support personnel as they help foster the commitment of the Church to reach out across denominational and religious lines.  This Summer Institute near Washington, D.C., is a time to train, network and find support in this important work.  While this is mostly a closed group, it is mentioned here to show the seriousness with which Glenmary, and the Catholic Church in general, consider the work of Christian unity and interreligious dialogue.

In Summation

These events are all strategic because they offer a chance to be in dialogue with some of the major groups and movements in ecumenism:  The social justice movement, the Southern Baptists, the emerging church, denominational relationship-building, interfaith dialogue as well as continued grassroots ecumenism at the Glenmary missions. 

In some cases, just having an "official" presence is a form of outreach in and of itself:  Our presence says that we want to be in relationship and that we matter to each other.  Being present can be both simple and profound. 

 

However, we also hope to go beyond that into making connections and advancing the discussion of Christian and religious unity, always on the lookout for visible signs of the Kingdom.  We plan to be present, participate and then share the story widely.

 

Stay tuned as we share stories and insights from these events in the coming weeks!