Going to Winnipeg, eh?
London, Moscow, Munich, Tokyo, Rome...and now Winnipeg (sort of). Each year the much-ballyhooed G8 Summit brings together the world's major advanced economies," Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. A lesser-known fact is that since 2005, groups of religious leaders have also been coming together to send a moral message to these most powerful citizens of the world.
This year it's Canada's turn to host the G8 Summit, and the heads of state will be meeting in the Muskoka region of Ontario from June 25-26. But just before that happens, influential religious leaders from every part of the world representing every major religion will spend a couple of days in Winnipeg putting final touches on a prepared statement calling for "inspired leadership and action at this critical moment in history."
And what is this message? It's a reminder that religions have an important role to play in "addressing poverty, caring for the Earth and being peace-builders," and a plea for political leaders to give the "needs and values of the majority of the world's population" the highest priority (the full statement is available online). It calls for "courageous and concrete action" to achieve the eight Millennium Development Goals agreed to by 192 member states of the United Nations.
Karen Hamilton, general secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches, is the lead organizer for the World Religions Summit 2010. Canadian Christian agencies on the long list of event partners also include the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, Canadian Baptist Ministries, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, The Salvation Army, Micah Challenge and World Vision.
Doubtless there are many Canadian Christians who wonder why so much effort is being expended at this level, to attempt to work with people who believe so differently at projects that are too large to be realized. Others consider it a vital, necessary, hopeful and helpful leadership activity. Is it all rather esoteric and vague? Perhaps. Is it a good direction for leaders to be pointing? Yes indeed.
Other faiths
This is a good time for Christians to think carefully about the way we interact with people who believe differently. It is important for us to have enough confidence in our own faith that we can respectfully engage others regardless of what they believe or don't believe. Our posture toward others should be one of appropriate humility and appropriate conviction. We need to know where (and how) to stand firm, where (and how) to bend, where (and how) to change our ways of thinking and acting.
It's helpful for us to come to a mature understanding that eternal salvation is the gift of an endlessly creative and loving God, and that we are called to embody Christian faith in winsome Christian living and faithful Christian proclamation. We need to recognize where Christians are compromising our effectiveness in representing Jesus Christ to people of other faiths. And we must be eager to learn, attentive to God and keen to hear His voice through Scripture, prayer, spiritual direction and the insights of others.
2010 is also the centenary of the influential Edinburgh World Missionary Conference. It's being celebrated this year with good cause. "Yet this is tempered by a note of repentance," say Todd Johnson and Kenneth Ross in the current edition of The International Bulletin of Missionary Research. "Edinburgh 1910 was guided by an expectation that other world religions would whither and die in the face of the triumphant worldwide spread of Christianity. Today we may rejoice that Christianity has indeed spread worldwide, yet it is clear that other world religions have not only survived but have undergone significant growth and renewal."
Religion matters deeply to most people in the world, and is a fundamental motivator for righteous action. While religions have often been complicit in the problems, their leaders can agree on many shared values and common goals. We do well to encourage those who are willing to do the hard work of overcoming differences in order to make a world where justice is more prevalent.
Dear Readers:
ChristianWeek relies on your generous support. please take a minute and donate to help give voice to stories that inform, encourage and inspire.
Donations of $20 or more will receive a charitable receipt.Thank you, from Christianweek.
