How Do We Relate to Other Faiths?

Acts 17: 22-28, John 14:1-6

One thing I remember from Sunday School days was we often heard about the heathen overseas. We often had pictures of the heathen, who were usually dark skinned. It was not said but clearly understood that the heathen weren’t quite as good or civilized as we were. They had strange customs that weren’t right – not like us. They wore strange clothes – not like us. They were yet to hear about Jesus.
I also recall another picture something like this. It was of the world divided up and colour coded. It showed Hinduism in orange occupying the Indian subcontinent. Buddhism shown in yellow orange was spread across South East Asia including Thailand and Cambodia up to Japan. Since the map was pre Maoist revolution, China was designated simply as Chinese religions. Mohammedanism, or Islam as we would call it today, constituted a large green splash across North Africa though the Middle East, with a further splash in Malaysia and Indonesia. Christianity spread across the bottom part of Africa, North and South America and Europe. I didn’t understand anything about Orthodox Christianity and I can’t remember anything about the Russian subcontinent. But clearly in my mind much of the world was heathen. We were Presbyterians. The Methodists were OK. The Anglicans were sort of OK but a bit strange with their set liturgies. The Catholics were very strange and suspect, and the rest were basically beyond the pail. We did have Jewish neighbours I recall. They were lovely people – kind and generous. We got to know them personally and that, as always, changes things dramatically. When we were invited to the local synagogue we discovered they did things very differently but they were good people so that was OK.
That multi-coloured map and those ways of looking at people as heathen – the way many of us were brought up – are now totally outdated. Today all the religions of the world are everywhere. We have a mosque in town and several Buddhist temples. Within my own family I now have Jews, Bahai’s, Muslims, Christians, and a variety of ‘I don’t knows’ and other labels. Adherents of different religions can no longer avoid one another. The lamb we eat is usually halal, the Dalai Lama comes to town and 5,000 turn up to hear him, and one of the big All Black stars, Sonny Bill Williams, will shortly celebrate Ramadan. ( Thank goodness the fasting month will be over before the world cup begins!) We turn on the news this week and are drawn into arguments about the wearing of full face coverings or niqab, and whether they should be allowed in New Zealand. The chart of world religions now has many colours splattered all over the canvas.
What are we to make of this and what are we to make of one another. Do we say, all those who hold other religious views have missed the boat and need to be converted, or do we believe that there is more than one pathway to God? Do we uphold Christianity as the one true religion and the others as misguided or do we find some common ground amidst our different pathways. I remember the reaction of a friend when I returned from spending a year living in India. I was telling him I had participated in a week of mediation and contemplative prayer run by a Buddhist leader and that I had found it fascinating. He simply told me that it was the work of the devil and that I would now be infected and has never spoken to me since.
The question of how we relate to other faiths is one we can no longer avoid. I’ve talked with a few people this week about the women wearing full face covers who were refused entry onto an Auckland bus. The reactions have been polarizing and complex. Our Prime Minister, aware of what damage could be done to our economy if we became known as an anti Muslim country, was quick to soothe the waters. Most New Zealanders I’ve spoken to value seeing one another’s faces and are disturbed by people who cover their faces. It may surprise you to know that many Muslims would find such dress over the top and would argue that the Koran does not require women to adhere to such strict dress codes in its call for modesty. In fact I have 3 Muslim nieces all of whom do not wear a head-covering of any sort, much to the dismay of their mother!
For us as Christians, however, there are deeper issues. Some in our midst come from countries where as Christians you have been persecuted by other religious groups. In our Christian heritage we have a gory history of killing those who did not confess ‘Jesus as Lord’. And it’s not just the past, because far too many religious people will wake up this morning as Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, intent on killing or doing away with one another. And those that do this believe they are obeying, pleasing, and honouring God. Because religion is about the things we hold dearest it often divides. Sadly we often promote evil stories about people who practice a different religion, usually drawing on the extreme ends of the religion we want to put down. At the other end of the spectrum, there are people I know who say whatever you believe is fine as long as you are sincere. All religions are really the same. I don’t buy that either.
I want to look for another way. I want to look for a way that honours what I believe to be the prime desire of Jesus – to save – to value and heal all people in the world. I see this way in Paul as he addresses the people of Athens. He doesn’t reject them or put them down, but tells them that God is with them too. He’s openly critical of some of their practices, but he tells them plainly they are God’s offspring – they are God’s children. He begins with the deepest respect. He listens to them, he observes, he engages, and asks questions of them. He dialogues. He looks for God in their lives and in their religion. It’s a model which respects and seeks to understand.
I see this way reflected all through our scriptures as God works in and through all sorts of characters who are not part of the chosen religion. Jethro, Rahab, Ruth, Uriah, and many more outsiders, non Jews, who prove themselves more just and godly than the insiders. Look at Jesus and his attitude towards a Samaritan woman, a Roman centurion, a Syro-Phoeniccan woman or some Greeks. Look who he chooses to make a hero of maybe the best known of his stories the ‘Good Samaritan’. If he told the story today in our midst it may be that he would tell it of the ‘good Muslim’.
Is it not true that Jesus would say to us today, ‘your first responsibility as my followers is to treat people of other religions with the same respect you would want to receive from them’. When you are kind and respectful to followers of other religions, you are not being unfaithful to me, but you are being good ambassadors. A good question to ask of ourselves is ‘how you would want people of other religions to treat you?’ Wouldn’t you like them to show an interest, learn about what you hold dear, look for things we can celebrate together, and respectfully disagree where necessary to do so. Well, go and do likewise!
Often when I say this someone will say yes, but what about…..but what about John 14: 6. Didn’t Jesus say he was the way, the truth and the life, and the only way to the Father?’. The implication is clear. If he is the only way, then while we might show respect to others, we inevitably must tell them they are deluded and wrong. Our path is the best and only way and without Jesus they are doomed.
John 14:6 of course had nothing to do with other faiths in it’s original setting. Jesus wasn’t addressing the question of interfaith dialogue. He was having a private discussion with his own disciples about issues of their own faith. He’s preparing the disciples for his death and departure and begins the chapter by saying ‘in my Fathers house are many rooms.’ We often take that to be talking about heaven but elsewhere in John’s gospel ‘my Father’s house’ refers to the temple. Jesus I think is saying that we will find God in many places in our journey of life and not just in one holy site. He tells his disciples that they are going to discover that somehow he is going to journey with them. There is a short discussion about where he is leading and going, and dumb as usual one of the disciples says that we may be on a journey in life but we don’t know the way. Jesus then says that he is the way. If you want to come to God, if you want to know God in your life then look at me. If you want to know what God looks like in human form look at Jesus. If you want to know what matters to God look at Jesus. If you want to know what a God filled life looks like look at Jesus. I don’t think we are talking about some creedal statement about Jesus here but we are talking about a way of living, and when Jesus says no-one comes to the Father except through me I don’t think he’s saying that if you confess me with your mind that you’ll get access to God. Rather it is the way he shows us that is important. He is asking us to join him in the way of living that involves loving God, loving others, respecting others, and challenging the powers of evil that seek to destroy the life of our earth.
Marcus Borg tells of a visiting Buddhist teacher who was invited to preach at his church. The teacher chose as his text this verse of John 14:6. He expounded on the importance of Jesus as the way for us to follow. He ended however with a little twist. This is the true way he said, but it is a way found in other religions and places as well. I think we need to think very carefully about what Jesus is meaning when he says ‘no-one comes to the Father but through me’ because how we interpret this will radically shape the faith we live by and the way we will interact with our neighbour who may be Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, or whatever.
I mentioned earlier I have three nieces and a nephew who are Muslim. I treasure their presence in our family and the richness they have brought us. We see many things differently as I would expect, but I have never seen my role as converting them to the faith I hold so dear. I am reminded often of the words of the Dalai Lama when asked by a Christian seeker whether she should become a Buddhist. His response paraphrased was simply “No, become more deeply Christian, live more deeply your own tradition.” That makes absolute sense to me. I believe it is the way of Jesus.

Dugald Wilson 10 July 2011