Recently I blogged about someone else’s take on community and the churches role within it. I stated I have difficulty with a view that sees the community as a place where we are called to build relationships simply to see converts to Christianity. That’s what I want to see happen, that’s what I pray will happen, but I build relationships because I am interested in people and genuinely want to get to know others. It’s up to God to do anything else and if he leads things that way I am more than happy to respond. My motivation, though, is centred in being and bringing good news, and by that I think I mean bringing a taste of the Kingdom of God.

Although I disagree with the other way of doing things, I do see a place for it and would have welcomed the chance for dialogue; and by dialogue I do not mean debate. Too often the former has been stated when the latter has been meant … as the only point of the ‘dialogue’ has been to try and convert the other to your own way of thinking. In debate you try to change the opinion, in dialogue you come searching for truth and are open to the possibility that you have more to learn on this issue … or (shock horror!) that I may even be wrong!!!

For some reason dialogue has not been possible in this situation. My comments have been ignored and left unpublished – and I realise I am treading on dangerous ground here as I could be accused of griping over being ignored … I hope I am not. It does concern me, however, that this is an issue with part of the church – the refusal to enter into dialogue with some others who are seen as having a different brand of truth to themselves.

I am saddened that we see this over and over again. Christians refusing to dialogue with people they disagree with only harms us all in that we stay incomplete in our understanding of each other and of God. Through this experience I feel personally saddened at the lost opportunity to learn from my Christian brother of differing views. I think the experience could have informed and enriched both our relationships with God.

The Asbo Jesus cartoon has reminded me of one of the things that I have learned from my three years at SEITE which I hope will stay with me – most often I learned a lot more from those of a differing tradition and viewpoint than my own. It was in those discussions with people seeing things from the opposite end of the spectrum to me that I felt drawn closer to a better understanding of God.

Some people may think they are protecting the faith my staying ‘pure’ and not sharing or talking with others that have a different view on ‘truth’ but essentially I think we all lose out personally, but more importantly the whole body of Christ loses out on a great opportunity to learn, grow and develop. I do wonder if it results in us all worshipping a much poorer image of God as our understanding can only be enlarged if we embrace those of other Christian traditions around us – if we could achieve more of that then THAT would be good news and a bit of an adventure!