I am preparing to help facilitate a consultation, to progress a dialogue of care between people who have a different view on things. As a chaplaincy this is important. Chaplains operate alongside people outside church – using the word “church” to describe groupings of men and women. Chaplains are in the marketplace, and there to find others looking for hope. Chaplains seek to tell, there, of the hope that faith in Jesus gives.
If we reflect on coming to faith, we can see how intolerance of difference is generated. Faith involves vulnerability. It takes a type of risk and nerve to trust in someone you cannot prove. This is more evident when we are tired and emotionally fragile - as many are, coming out of lockdown. So, we group together with likeminded people. There we feel secure. Our confidence rubs off on each other. From this security we feel our style of life – how we practice our faith, and walk in the way - must be right. We can then use our faith writings to bolster our style – unaware that we read them with subconscious bias.
Then, when we find others walking the same way in a different style – of life and words – we feel threatened. We must protect our style of life. We feel an anxiety. “They” cannot be right too – surely? We push our style. We group together. That leads to “shouting”. We don’t accept those who are different. That then leads to separation, exclusion and hurt.
Chaplains are alongside those who feel excluded – who feel left outside. And faith intolerance can cause deep (even existential) wounds. So, I know many who are looking at this consultation with great interest. Will it lead to change? Will the church welcome these people in? Some do, praise God.
The consultation[1] has suggested six principles to facilitate this consultation:
- To acknowledge prejudice – asking if it can be right that any of us fails to explore his or her own prejudices
- To speak into silence – the church often fails to see the presence, and hear the questions, of those who feel “outside”. This silence can in turn shelter abuses of power
- To address ignorance – particularly of the feelings and needs of those who are different to us
- To cast out fear – when there is a strident polarity, the middle majority – often quiet because they do not think their questions and feelings will be accepted, let alone validated – will be silenced by fear. We must make safe spaces
- To admit hypocrisy - we believe we are loved, accepted and forgiven by God. How about those who are different to us. They are still human. They also want this acceptance
- To pay attention to power. Pastoral care MUST listen and support the quiet “outsider”, and speak up when it sees an abuse of power – one over another
So, I pray that these six principles can form the foundation of this consultation. Many watching are hopeful – let us be alongside them.
Nigel
[1] Living in Love and Faith – Christian teaching and learning about identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage
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