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On Faith Vaughn F. Beckman |
Church leaders must
embrace vision
of respectIf there ever was a time when vision-empowered leaders are needed, it is now! We need leaders in all segments of life -- whether in faith communities, civic groups and nonprofits, education or government -- who will dare to rise up in promoting compassion, civility and mutual respect for human dignity in an ever-increasingly diverse society.
Sad to say there seems to be a clear disconnect between faith communities and the issues and problems facing the real world. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said it well in stating: "The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state and never its tool."
-- Proverbs 29:18
Too many in the pews are still misguided in thinking that the organized faith community exists to serve only the needs of the churched. Until an organization dares to look beyond itself, there is no hope of having the insight and ability to make good things happen.
There is a compelling need for faith leaders to take time to step back, evaluate the world around them and then communicate a clear mental picture of what could and should be. Too often the influence of the world becomes the starting point, not the viewpoint, of mercy, love, hope and compassion. People of faith, who do not all march in lock step, must be reminded that they have rich diverse thoughts and beliefs to share.
To make things work more smoothly in this nation, the Interfaith Alliance has adopted a number of principles that aim to protect public interest and diversity of option. These include:
- Promotion of civility in public discourse as a means to a richer and more substantive policy discussion and as a means to combat religious bigotry.The Interfaith Alliance Hawaii, a chapter of the national group, dares to be a leader for our times through promoting a vision of having a positive and healing role with people of faith, good will and aloha, encouraging nonviolent civic participation, facilitating community activism and confronting religious and political extremism.- Embracing and giving voice to diversity. This takes the form in tireless work to insure every faith community's voice is heard in political dialogue. The Interfaith Alliance has become one of the few organizations in the nation to quickly and effectively reach out to the full spectrum of religious thought.
- Building a movement to stand against intolerance and manipulation of religion. American history is a story of an ever-broadening circle of inclusion. Faith leaders should feel compelled to proclaim a message of putting aside prejudices and teaching others to look beyond differences to build a movement to counter religious extremism.
- Mobilization of faith communities for the purpose of civic participation and the protection of religious liberty.
Arun Gandhi, board chairman of the Interfaith Alliance, states it clearly: "We have to accept the fact that the world has become pluralistic and multireligious and multicultural. We have to make concessions to that and try to understand each other if we want to live in peace. We don't want people to tolerate each other; we want people to respect one another."
This moment in history calls for the kind of vision where people of faith feel compelled to stand solidly in mutual respect and understanding of each other and all people, and in opposition to views and practices of exclusion and intolerance. Only through accepting our rich diversity can we expect to build a community, country or world where peace and hope can exist for all.
The Rev. Vaughn Beckman is president of Interfaith Alliance Hawaii, which meets at 8:45 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at the United Church of Christ Conference Center, 15 Craigside Place. All are welcome. For information, call 782-0001.
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