"That's heritical" exclaimed an African mission leader, challenging his Indian colleague. We were in the middle of our most lively debate so far in a week of stimulating discussion at the Faith2Share Leadership Consultation - 25 senior mission leaders from Africa, Asia, North America, Brazil, Europe, New Zealand, the Middle East and Central Asia.The outburst had been stimulated by a paper from a Malaysian mission leader in which he raised the controversial question of 'dual belonging'. In other words, when a Buddhist or Muslim becomes a follower of Jesus do we Christians need to ask them to make a radical break with all their cultural/religious past or is there some way in which they can belong both to their 'heritage' community and their new found Christian community - both at the same time. In a small group discussion someone suggested that Jesus himself was a 'dual belonger' because he never left the community of Jewish faith but critiqued it from the inside whilst founding his own new community of 'Kingdom belongers'. We were also challenged to explain why we never ask secular Europeans to make a radical break with their former secularism, materialism and Enlightenment beliefs when they decide to follow Jesus, whilst we make very costly demands on former Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists.
Of course no heretics were burnt tonight. And we are still not quite sure which of us are the heretics!
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as I participated in the discussion I think people often need space to reflect on what is being espoused as a possible christian lifestyle option. As Christians we are called to be resident aliens who discover that our true citizenship lies in the new heaven and earth(according to Paul and Peter and John)but we often simply end up being alien residents and cut off from many of the very people God may be calling us to serve. It will be great to have more discussion on this important matter.
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