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How to work and share across differences

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The good, the bad, and the ugly of interfaith dialogue

What is the point of building relationships with people who believe differently than us?

As a pastor and a chaplain, I have many opportunities to talk with people who believe differently than me. At the University of Alberta, I meet with chaplains from other Christian traditions and other religions. In working for Syrian refugee resettlement in Canada, I’ve partnered with other churches in Edmonton and with Islamic Family and Social Services Association. This past Remembrance Day, I was honoured to speak alongside Jewish, Muslim and Bahá’í presenters at Edmonton’s Interfaith Prayer Walk as we came together to pray for peace.

In so doing, I’ve learned a few things.

Disingenuous dialogue

As evangelicals, we are often uncomfortable with dialogue. We want to remove differences in order to make people believe the same things as we do. There is something good about this impulse; we want other people to believe the truth!

But there is also a negative side. When we assume we already know the truth, we insist the other person must listen, change and become like us. Dialogue becomes monologue.

Power imbalance

Even when we remember to listen, money, resources and position can wield oppressive influence. When we come to the table to talk, do we come as equals? When material aid is involved, can the other party express themselves openly or do they merely nod along, showing us what we want to see?

When I was working at a hostel for homeless men, the guys would tell me that they had “been saved” again. It was common for a well-meaning Christian to offer the men aid after preaching a “salvation message.” One patron proudly told me he had been saved eight times – and he was sincere! In this pursuit of conversion, conversation produces superficial agreement, but the truth is lost. It can be easy to forget about power dynamics.

Dignity of difference

As we dialogue, we can acknowledge our differences. After all, we are not all the same – and none of us has a monopoly on God. We don’t merely tolerate those who believe differently than us, we need them to reveal aspects of God to us. The Aboriginal community in Australia famously put it this way: “If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”

Collaboration for action

This suggests an alternative reason for conversation. In my experience, we talk not to reach agreement but to do something together. Truth is not an abstract principle; it is a lived reality. We communicate truth by sharing and working together. Dialogue makes working and sharing possible.

Openly peculiar

In a class on world religions, my professor was Lutheran, my fellow teaching assistant was Orthodox Christian and I was Mennonite. Despite our different traditions, we were able to work happily together. One day, my Orthodox Christian colleague observed that the Mennonites on campus were easy to talk to about faith. She explained their open acknowledgment of their peculiarity invited others to share about their own distinctiveness.

However, in situations of deep inequality or power imbalance, openly expressing differences can be risky for those who are vulnerable. In these situations, those who have power need to go an extra mile to create a hospitable climate. One way to do that is to move beyond merely identifying differences, to appreciating them.

In Edmonton, the Muslim community is vulnerable. Its members face the risk of discrimination and violence every day. Churches have come alongside Muslims to sponsor Syrians who are fleeing even greater uncertainty in their home region. This is the work of hospitality to which God has called us.

But before we can work together, we have to talk together. We have to learn from each other, and celebrate our differences.

The first time I met with IFSSA, we gathered at a local restaurant owned by a Muslim family who insisted that we should all eat as much as we wanted – for free. That celebration meal happened because of conversations in living rooms months before I arrived – allowing us to work together. At that meeting, I learned from Muslims about the generosity of God’s hospitality.

Later, when our church’s first family arrived at the airport, they had been on a long journey, shuffled from one bureaucrat to another. On arrival, they were expecting to talk to another agent with a clipboard. Instead, they saw a large friendly group with their names on a sign. As their surprise turned to smiles, I learned about finding God’s love in an unexpected place.

As Christians who value truth, we work and share with those who are different than us – with humility and honesty – Kevin-Guentherbecause there is no better way to communicate the truth of God’s love to the world. And dialogue is what makes this working and sharing possible.

— Kevin Guenther Trautwein is assistant pastor at Lendrum MB Church, Edmonton. He and his wife (and co-pastor) Sherri have one young son who teaches them daily how to celebrate difference.

Read about one of Lendrum’s interfaith engagements:

Christians and Muslims gather for dialogue, fellowship and food

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4 comments

Katharine June 2, 2016 - 17:11

“Truth is not an abstract principle; it is a lived reality. ”
Yes! The same can be said of the Word.
I’m grateful for the challenging witness observed in this article. Thank you MB Herald and Lendrum MB.

Bonhoeffer: “[I]t is implicit in the New Testament statement concerning the incarnation of God in Christ that all men are taken up, enclosed and borne within the body of Christ and this is just what the congregation of the faithful are to make known to the world by their words and by their lives. What is intended here is not separation from the world but the summoning of the world into the fellowship of this body of Christ, to which in truth it already belongs”

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Emmit Hameed June 2, 2017 - 17:46

Hello, my name is Emmit Hameed, and I am a grade 11 student currently taking Biblical Studies 30S at Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute in Winnipeg, MB. Upon reading your article, I could not help but share with you some of my thoughts on the pressing topic of interfaith interaction.

In an age where so many controversial changes are occurring in society, your article applies to essentially everyone, whether they are a person of faith or not. I felt that your article did a fantastic job of stressing the fact that just because we all have different beliefs does not mean that we should try to make everyone believe the same as we do. After all, there is not a single person alive that knows the complete “truth.” Interfaith dialogue can lead to increased awareness of the people and cultures around us, and open our eyes to the situations and values of others.

I particularly appreciated your use of the word “dialogue” when describing the interaction between people of different beliefs. The word dialogue means to work together through words to achieve a goal. The goal in this case is the pursuit of greater understanding of the people and beliefs around us. However, we must always be careful during interfaith dialogue, as with all dialogue, there is the danger of it transitioning to a debate. The goal of debate is to prove the superiority of your view over another. And does this not totally defeat the purpose of interfaith interaction? In these scenarios, it is not possible for one’s belief to be “right.”

The topics discussed in this article do not only apply to dialogue between people of different faiths, but also apply to dialogues between people of different nationalities, political views, and sexualities. The beauty of the human race lies just as much in our differences as it does in our similarities. Throughout all of our existence, we as humans have struggled to accept people who do not fit with our idea of “normal.” As your article stated, “as we dialogue, we can acknowledge our differences.” Imagine how much of the world’s problems would be solved if the majority of us favoured dialogue and mutual understanding over retaliation. However, that is not the case. With every terrorist attack, bomb strike, and corrupt world leader, we stray further away peace and equality. If we as humans came to respect and celebrate our differences in all aspects of life, imagine what a wonderful place the world would be. Yes, it is a lofty goal, but every person that realizes this and makes an effort towards it makes a difference that affects so many more people than they realize.

In conclusion, your article highlights many topics and ideas that connect to everyone’s life. Although it may appear as an article centred solely around faith, it delivers a message that is so much more.

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Karla Braun June 2, 2017 - 19:29

Congratulations on taking third prize in CMU’s essay writing contest for your piece on “Representing Youth in Politics,” Emmit.

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Kevin GT January 21, 2018 - 18:44

Thanks for your comments, Emmit!
Your observations about the importance of dialogue, not just for issues of faith, but “between people of different nationalities, political views, and sexualities” seems especially important at this point in Canadian history. There are social forces that encourage us to retreat and entrench into enclaves of like-minded individuals. But, it seems to me, this path just leads to more “purity tests,” and more fracturing, until community and relationship become impossible.
I feel the attraction of associating only with people who already agree with me. Thankfully, my family and my church and my neighbourhood won’t let me! It keeps me open, and always questioning. No matter where you are, or who you’re with, always keep dialoguing!

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