|
There are a number of factors involved or at stake in the practice of Christianity in Liberia that my project will address: in our Christian tradition there are different views regarding dialogue and interaction with people of other religion. It is no secret that polity of individual denomination or congregation has no authority to go outside the approved forms or to adopt to changing realities around them; how much change (and of what nature) can we make before we move so far from our common heritage as to render us something else than Christians; how do I "preserve the faith" yet lead an exploration into new territory that calls for tolerance of non Christians and their faith journey; how do I lead yet not get so far out in front that those who follow are lost; how do I monitor the pulse and pace of change desired by those around me so that I am not simply pushing my own agenda but also meeting their need; how do I encourage dialogue and interaction without running the risk of being intrusive and accused by the other religions of imposing my own faith upon them; What can I do to avoid the methodologies and olive branch extended to others from being uprightly rejected?
So there are questions of faith, authority, love, hope, questions about discernment, and questions of leadership. How do I balance the voice of Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:13 about faith, love and hope; and the claim of Jesus in St. John that he gave his life for his friends without being distracted by the powerful critique of those whose theology of atonement is limited by their interpretation that any dialogue and interaction of such nature is heresy? What right do I have to make changes in the religious traditions of Islam, Christianity and African Traditional Religion? The religious environment in the Liberian community in the US and in the Republic of Liberia are likely to ask me, what religious authority do you have to bring the three major religions around one common bond for dialogue and interaction? The Liberian religious, social and political cultures say "I have none." I have to rely on my guts that say, there is something right about this, no matter the seeming opposition I might face. In Proverbs of Ashes with the voices of Scripture, which record Jesus himself as interpreting his coming death with a metaphor of blood sacrifice, I hear the voice, "for the forgiveness of sins"? I hear another voice, that of Ed Friedman in A Failure of Nerve, saying, "The safest place for ships is in the harbor, but that’s not why ships were built." And I think of Abraham called out of Ur, following an unknown voice into covenant and history.
This struggle to find or create an opportunity for dialogue and interaction between Islam, Christianity and African Traditional Religion that "works" is intrinsically meshed with my call to be the most authentic self I can be, as God has created me. I have to trust that. I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please me. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it…." Or perhaps even more Marianne Williamson in A Return to Love,
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
I think it’s clear from what I have said why I think this project matters and what there is to gain from it. I plan to present the results to the larger Liberia society by sharing them with the Liberian Council of Churches, the Muslim Council of Liberia and a traditional commission of elders. These bodies will assist in helping, developing and adopting new strategies that will enhance dialogue and interaction between Islam, Christianity and African Traditional Religion, using these new materials as a resource.
|
