A 'both and' faith?

"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!

Insiders outside

Insiders outside are coming inside in great numbers in the Punjab. If that makes any sense at all?!

I was listening to Rev. I K Abraham, the General Secretary of the Friends Missionary Prayer Band as he led a Bible study this morning for a group of mission leaders brought together by Faith2Share. He spoke on Ephesians 3:6 "This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise of Christ Jesus." I have read that verse many times but never heard the truth behind it expressed so simply and clearly as Abraham put it this morning - the insiders are outside and must be brought in. If we look with the eyes of God there are no 'outsiders', no divisions, all are 'insiders', but some of the 'insiders' are still outside the fellowship of the church and we need to welcome them in.

Abraham went on to tell us of the hundreds of men and women in the Punjab, India, who every day discover that because of Jesus' love for them (his costly love for them on the cross) they are 'insiders' - they belong, they are part of the body of Christ ... and so the visible church grows by hundreds each day.

Now I'm wondering who I treat as outsiders when they are really just insiders left outside in the cold.