Engaging With Other Religions

Over the past three years, I have been on an extraordinary journey of discovery as I have dared to entertain the idea that God is at work through other religions.  Even now, writing such a realisation still feels a little strange as I have grown up in an evangelical culture that says, 'you are either of God (as Christians understand Him) or of the devil,' and there was no grey area to allow for the possibility of divine revelation occurring in an interfaith context.

Scripture unmistakeably records God declaring, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 5:6-7); Jesus affirming, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No-one comes to the Father except through me"  (John 14:6); and the Spirit's relationship in the Godhead, "When the Counsellor [Holy Spirit] comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me [Jesus]" (John 15:26).

As a Christian, I hold firmly to these Biblical truths and an uncompromising belief "that there is only one God, who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, and who is the only proper object of religious worship" (The Salvation Army, Doctrine 2).

However, I also recognise that "since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).  I understand that faith comes from God:  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no-one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8); "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." (Hebrews 12:2).  And I affirm that Holy Spirit is already at work in the world - "in the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people" (Acts 2:17) - revealing Jesus Christ - "He [Holy Spirit] will bring glory to me [Jesus] by taking what is mine and making it known to you" (John 15:14).

Therefore, I have come to believe that Holy Spirit has planted a seed of faith in all people, and religion is a human response to a partial revelation of God, forming a framework of understanding around what has been revealed.  This means that my interaction with other faiths is not to bring God where He is already present, but to discover where God is already at work and join in a conversation that has already begun.  From this posture I can share a fuller revelation of God by pointing people to Jesus Christ, because "in Christ all the fulness of the Deity lives in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9) and "the Son [Jesus] is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word" (Hebrews 1:3).

For me, this has radically changed my view of and approach to evangelism!   Evangelism is not so much a proclamation of truth, but an interactive relationship that gives witness to the incarnational truth that "the Word [Jesus] became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14) so that "whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).  Clark Pinnock describes the nature of such a relationship: 

“We should watch for whatever Spirit may be teaching and doing among them. This posture creates the possibility of a dialogical relationship. We can enter into the faith of others and acknowledge truths and values found there. These are our fellow human beings, seeking truth as we are. God is reaching out, and people are responding. So let us watch for points of contact and bridges of communication” (Pinnock 1996, The Flame of Love, p. 205).

From this vantage point I now find certain "evangelical" language an affront to the Spirit's presence and activity in other faiths.  To suggest that people are 'heathen' or 'godless' is to deny God's sovereignty.  To renounce the 'god' of any religion or to pray against the 'demonic spirit' of a religion, dishonours other people's spiritual journey, dismisses the work of the Spirit, disregards a partial revelation of God, and does little to foster a dialogical relationship where Christ can be revealed.

• What if the 'god' of a Muslim is a partial understanding of the Creator of the universe?
• What if the 'faith' of a Buddhist is a genuine response to prevenient grace?
• What if the 'religion' of a Hindu is an attempt to live out a divine consciousness?

Let me be very clear at this point!  I am not suggesting for a moment that other religions are an equal or alternative pathway to God.  I am not denying the reality of a spiritual battle between the God of heaven and "the god of this age [who] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4).  Nor am I suggesting that all aspects of religious practice are Spirit-led or God-honouring.  Every religion, including Christianity, has embraced false or incomplete beliefs about the Creator and have demonstrated behaviour that is contradictory to a holy and just God!  Pinnock expresses well what I am suggesting:  “We have to say yes and no to other religions.  On the one hand, we should accept any spiritual depth and truth in them.  On the other hand, we must reject darkness and error…The key is to hold fast to two truths: the universal operations of grace and the uniqueness of its manifestation in Jesus Christ” (Pinnock 1996, p. 202).

With a new wave of religious extremism emerging in our world today, we must be very careful not to reject the work of the Spirit in fear of the work of Satan.  We must not assume that people seeking God through another faith perspective are the enemy.  We must be careful not to shut down the dialogue with people from other religions or cultures.  We must seek to strengthen relationships with people on a faith journey rather than segregate ourselves from them.  We must not exchange a spirit of humility for a spirit of superiority.  We must keep a posture of learning and openness to wherever and with whomever the Spirit is moving.  We must "in [our] relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:5-11).

With eyes wide open to the ministry of the Spirit within other religions I am better positioned to “seek [and] discern the Spirit’s presence and activity in other faiths” (Amos Yong 2005, The Spirit Poured Out On All Flesh, p. 247) and recognise that “The Spirit’s mission is to bring history to completion and fulfilment in Christ" (Pinnock 1996, p. 194).  Then, like Paul who dialogued with the men of Athens about their altar "to an unknown god" (Acts 17:22-27), we might evoke a similar response from our interfaith dialogue, "We want to hear you again on this subject" (Acts 17:32).

Reality of Messiah v's Religious Pride

"They were ready for a Messiah, in the abstract, but not for such a Messiah as Jesus was in reality.  The great stumbling block to them was Christ's threat as Messiah to interpenetrate their very existence in such a way as to cut across their cherished ideas and desires and ambitions.  They wanted Christ to subserve the notion of their own religiousness and were furious when he touched them at the point of their religious pride, and so by the pressure of his very presence as the incarnate truth he evoked from them the full movement of sin in undisguised contradiction."  (Thomas F. Torrance)

Torrance unveils a Messianic struggle that I believe continues to cripple the Church and corrupt the hearts of believers today.  Our theology embraces the idea of Messiah (the abstract) but our ecclesiology seems to be in constant conflict with the reality of Messiah.  In other words, the reality of who Jesus is is in conflict with whom the Church has made Him.  I am of course making a generalisation to highlight a continual conflict that exists between religious tradtion and Messianic truth today.

Some time ago I preached a sermon series entitled "Signs, Symbols and Sacred Songs" that evoked a strong reaction when I suggested that our religious symbols and rituals become a form of idolatry when they become more important than whom or what they represent.  I saw the manifestation of our church wanting "Christ to subserve the notion of their own religiousness and were furious when he touched them at the point of their religious pride."  While religion can be a great vehicle through which to express our understanding and experience of God, it can be a great stumbling block when it is threatened by the reality and truth of Jesus Christ!

It is only when we submit ourselves to the reality of Messiah and allow Christ "to interpenetrate [our] very existence in such a way as to cut across [our] cherished ideas and desires and ambitions" and strip away our "religious pride" that we can be truly ready to fully embrace the incarnate truth of Jesus. 

Superficial or Supernatural

One of the many blessings of being a Salvation Army Officer is that we get to meet and engage with a lot of people. After 16 years of service, 3 appointments in three states, 3 overseas mission trips and several territorial and international training opportunities, you can imagine that we have interacted with an awful lot of people! Then, add online social networking on top of that and the friends list gets a little daunting, even for a type A extroverted personality like me. Out of all the people we have met, how many do we REALLY know? How many relationships move beyond a superficial acquaintance into the realm of genuine friendship? Or in Facebook language, from the acceptance of a friend request to face to face interaction?
 

When you consider the breadth of your own social networks, both online and in real life, you will know that it is impossible to be really friends with everyone you meet. Yet, some people choose to live life entirely at a superficial level, content with not really knowing or interacting with anyone at any real depth. Relationships seem so much less complicated when they are kept at a superficial level. In a movie I enjoy called 'Good Will Hunting,' Sean, a psychologist played by Robin Williams, is working with a very troubled young man, Will, who is a genius, yet keeps everyone in his life at arms length, not letting anyone get close to him. In a scene where Sean is trying to help Will understand why he is pushing away the one girl he really likes, he challenges Will's superficial relationship, "Maybe "you're" perfect right now. Maybe you don't want to ruin that. I think that's a super philosophy, Will; that way you can go through your entire life without ever having to really know anybody."
 
What's interesting to me about this superficial philosophy is how much it relates to not only interpersonal relationships but the way many Christians choose to interact with God and the Church. My observation of these Christians is that they choose to "go through [their] entire life without ever having to really know anybody" and wonder why their faith remains at a superficial level and their experience of God seems so distant. Superficial religious observance becomes an inadequate substitute for a deep spiritual experience and never really satisfies the longings of a yearning soul, no matter how hard you try.

Religion may be a useful vehicle to understand and express faith, but it is no substitute for authentic relationship. Our experience of God must go beyond what we do and become an expression of who we are. Superficial religion without supernatural relationship is powerless and will leave us feeling empty and incomplete.

Don't settle for a superficial religious experience when a supernatural relationship with Jesus Christ and a divine encounter with Holy Spirit will radically transform your life! 

Peace & Freedom

Over the past couple of weeks my family have had the privilege of getting to know a Muslim Iranian family who have only been in Australia for about 9 months.  We have shared a meal in each others homes and have taken the time to gain an understanding of each others culture and faith perspectives.

What has struck me about this family is their perception of Christianity.

They have come from an oppressive environment where freedom to choose their own religion and to live their lives according to their own worldview doesn’t exist!  Culturally they may be aligned with Islam, but spiritually and socially they are searching for the freedom to choose a different way of life.  In direct contrast to how they view their own cultural faith, their perception of Christianity is that it is a religion of “peace and freedom.”

Jesus told his followers, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (John 14:27)  While beauty queens may want “world peace” and political leaders may advocate for world peace, real peace is actually found through a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Jesus is God with us and He gives us a peace that transcends conflict through the inward presence of God amidst conflict.  The Apostle Paul describes it as “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, [that] will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:7)

Far from binding Christians under a legalistic code of conduct, faith in Jesus Christ liberates people from endless striving to be good enough.  Jesus affirmed his mission of liberation when he said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.” (Luke 4:18)  God’s Spirit sets us free from the power of sin and death by fulfilling the righteous requirements of the law (Romans 8:2-4).

It seems this Iranian family’s perception of Christian faith is closely aligned with the mission of Jesus to bring “peace and freedom” to those who seek after Him.

Interfaith Symposium

What does a Buddhist, Baha'i, Muslim, Sikh, Jew and Christian have in common?

No, this is not the opening line of a bad joke!  

Today, I took the opportunity to attend the 3rd Annual Interfaith Symposium conducted by the Multifaith Association of South Australia.  This was my first time attending such an event and it left me with a lot to think about the way Christians interact with people of other faith traditions.

As a full-time Christian minister for 16 years, I have belonged to three different Minister Fellowships/Fraternals and I am currently a member of the South Australian Council of Churches Local Ecumenism Sub-Committee.  During this time I have seen first hand the struggle many Churches and Christians have interacting with each other over denominational and theological differences within the same faith, so the interfaith dialogue presents a whole new level of challenge for the evangelical church.

Interfaith dialogue confronts us with the tension between the universality of the Spirit and the particularity of Jesus.  While we believe Holy Spirit goes before preparing the hearts and minds of ALL people for Salvation, we also believe that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Salvation.

At this Interfaith Symposium I shared in fellowship with various faith traditions who have a mutual desire to understand and experience "God."  I heard a Catholic Sister talk about God being bigger than any one belief system, a Baha'i representative describe "manifestations of God" having the sole purpose of revealing God for the progress of humankind, a Buddhist discuss meditation as being a means to lead people towards love and compassion, and a Sikh explain how a Guru shows the pathway towards enlightenment.  In this dialogue I was exposed to very real and very different faith journeys, yet the same innate desire to know God.

There is much I've still to learn about interfaith dialogue, but these things I do know!  The same Spirit who breathed life into my spirit, breathed life into the Muslim, Sikh and Jew (Acts 2:17) and the same God desires all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4). 

I am becoming more convinced that the various faith traditions I engaged with today are man's attempt to make sense of the partial revelation they have of God (Romans 1:20) and that our role as Christians is to find a point of connection with the revelation they already have.  By joining in on the conversation that has begun with the Spirit we open the conversation to a fuller revelation of God through Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:9-10).  For me, this changes the traditional evangelical approach that rejects other religions as a threat to Christianity and sees them as an opportunity to advance the journey of faith.

To explore the universality of the Spirit further read my paper on Spirit in Other Religions?

Religion or Relationship?

“Christianity is not a religion or a philosophy, but a relationship and a lifestyle.”
Rick Warren, “The Purpose Driven Life”

As I interact with people from various walks of life and with different worldviews, one of the consistent messages I hear is that they are not all that into religion.  It surprises those who know that I am a Salvation Army Officer when I tell them that neither am I!  You see religion is a static system of beliefs centred around a spiritual ideal.  Whereas, Christianity is a dynamic relationship centred around Jesus Christ.  Religion offers rituals as a way of trying to reach God, Christianity offers a relationship with God.  Religion demands human initiative to earn God’s favour, Christianity depends upon God’s initiative that grants us His favour.  Religion complicates life, Christianity transforms life.

As you interact with Why Christianity, you will not encounter a theoretical philosophy about religion, but an experiential relationship with Jesus who has radically changed our lives.  You will read about a faith journey which has led us to a fuller revelation of God through the life of Jesus Christ.  Wherever you are on your faith journey, whatever knowledge of God you have, I hope you too will encounter Jesus and engage in a life transforming relationship!

Cultural Revelation

Today, I had a cultural encounter at the office that has deeply touched me.  An Indian woman and her father arrived with a food donation for our Community Support Services.  When I enquired if the donation was personal or from another organisation, she explained that it was a family fulfilment of a Hindu custom when a close relative dies.  Her father-in-law died in January and every month on the anniversary date of his death for a year, they donate food to assist the poor in honour of their loved one.  She has lived in Australia for 30 years, and has found a way to honour her Hindu culture in the context of Australian culture.

It is hard for me to articulate why this has impacted me so much, except I was the recipient of an act of grace that transcended religious barriers and expressed the very heart of humanity.  The words of an old Salvation Army song took on flesh today: 

Except I am moved with compassion,
How dwelleth thy Spirit in me?
In word and in deed
Burning love is my need;
I know I can find this in thee.

Too often when we engage with other cultures or religions our focus tends to be on what divides us rather than what unites us.  As human beings we share a common humanity that is a reflection of our Creator.  While the brokenness of creation has distorted this reflection, the same Spirit who breathed life into us is drawing ALL people to a restored relationship with their Creator God, through the person of Jesus Christ.  The way in which Christians engage with other cultures will determine what reflection of God we project and whether or not that image reveals Christ who is "the way, the truth and the life" or a Church that is a road block to a revelation of Christ.