Workplace Multi-faith Forums
We have a new PM who is not ashamed to live out his faith in public life. Our late Queen Elizabeth II had the same attitude towards living out her Christian faith in public life. She did it unapologetically, but with great gentleness and respect. In fact, it was the quiet skill at which she was able to negotiate the different religions, regimes and rhythms of her reign
that made her such a remarkable woman.
So, what can we learn from these two national leaders as Christians in the workplace?
- · It's okay to collaborate and engage with people of different faiths.
- · Doing so is an opportunity to openly discuss faith in the public space.
- · It's a forum for meaningful dialogue.
- · It's a platform to gently and respectfully give a reason for our hope.
A multi-faith forum in the workplace is simply any meeting where different faiths come together for collaborative engagement.
It does not indicate that Christians who engage in such a forum cease to be true believers.
Christians are called to engage in cross-cultural missions. It is the only way to fully obey the Great Commission to GO and disciple nations. Our Christianity is therefore questionable if we shy away from going to those who are different from us in anyway, especially
by religious culture.
Society generally is made up of diverse cultural identities and communities. Most of these are probably different from us in more ways than one. To think that engaging with parts of society that are different by religious culture will contaminate our Christianity maybe an indication that we are not true followers of Christ. Because Jesus Christ did just that when He left His Holy home in heaven to come into a contaminated world to save us all.
We see the cross-cultural mission of Jesus Christ displayed throughout the Gospels.
He was constantly reaching out to those with a different social, cultural, religious and moral narrative. Should we list them all; there will be too many to list. It was the reason the religious elite of the time could not understand Him; questioned and criticised Him; until they conspired to kill Him... But, we now know the end of the story.
And, the Apostle Paul after attempting to reach his own religious community without success, due to the same resistance to the radical cross-cultural truth of the Gospel, eventually gave up and focused his mission on the Gentile nations. He went wherever there were people - religious, irreligious or non-religious, far or wide.
Keith Whitfield wrote in an article in the Mission of God Study Bible:
“In First Corinthians 9:20-22, Paul imposes a missional posture upon himself toward (different) cultures and people so he can communicate the gospel clearly by disarming objections to it and building bridges for gospel engagement. We call this living a contextual life.
‘20 I became Jewish to the Jewish people inorder to win them to the Messiah. I became like one under the law to gain the people who were stuck under the law, even though I myself am not under the law. 21 And to those who are without the Jewish laws, I became like them, as one without the Jewish laws, in order to win them, although I’m not outside the law of God but under the law of Christ. 22 I became “weak” to the weak to win the weak. I have adapted to the culture of every place I’ve gone so that I could more easily win people to Christ.’”
Just picture that!!
It is true that many go too far into culture, however most of us do not go far enough!!
The Apostle Paul in Acts 17 demonstrated clearly what it means to contextualize the gospel and build bridges across religious divides.
When in Athens, he was repulsed by their idolatry. He observed carefully and considered the objects of their worship. His curiosity provoked deep compassion and an urgency to share the Gospel at the slightest opportunity with the idolatrous philosophical leaders of the Gentile Anthenians. And, he tailored and contextualised his message to their religious culture.
Our Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul were on a cross-cultural mission. They gave us the template on which to pattern our Christian Witness to the diverse cultures around us at work. And, we see this exemplified in the life and witness of our late Queen in her local and global workplace.
Let us too rise up and engage.
- Elizabeth Ukiomogbe.
