Ecumenism might not always be very high on the political agenda, but in the past six months we have seen different understandings of Christianity being pitted against each other very publicly.
As some voices claimed that a movement of Christian Nationalism has put Christ back into Christmas, others responded by emphasising the Gospel’s message of social justice and hospitality.
Those of you engaged in the patient work of ecumenism over the years know that asserting ‘my doctrine is better than yours’ rarely leads to trusting relationships – and can cause deep wounds within the Body of Christ.
However, it is not acceptable for Christian symbols and beliefs to be co-opted by people who wish to exclude, divide, and inflame hatred. So what do we do?
Over the Christmas period, we saw responses to Christian Nationalism emerging that encourage deep listening, with an intersectional approach that understands how issues of class, race, poverty, and power all connect with each other.
We saw creativity in responses that don’t just shout, but show and encourage questions – not more easy answers.
We saw people coming together across traditions and ethnicities to find ways of recommitting ourselves to sharing the Gospel – a gospel that welcomes all and has no outsiders.
Having worked in Birmingham for many years to bring people together across perceived divides, I believe this moment of polarisation urges us to deeper engagement, particularly with people who are saying things we do not want to hear and with whom we may not agree. We need to find ways of having conversations within and between our churches that bring assumptions and ideologies into the light of Jesus – his life, his teaching, and his death and resurrection. And we need to be prepared for that light to shine on our own prejudices and preconceptions. This is slow, painstaking work that needs to be done with care – making sure people are kept from harm and allowing trust to build through relationship and listening. This is the work which you, as an ecumenist, know how to do.
Now working for Trussell, the anti-poverty charity which supports a community of food banks, I see even more clearly that this work must go hand in hand with challenging the deep inequalities that are being manipulated to scapegoat immigrants. The struggles around housing, health, employment, and poverty are real. And real solutions need to be found.
During the years I have worked alongside people facing hunger and hardship, I have heard how important belonging to a church community can be. But sometimes we unwittingly exclude people who face financial hardship – and do not hear the voices of people leading the struggle against poverty.We have developed new resources for churches called Walking Humbly (a leader’s pack and a series of Bible Studies) that can help you make sure your church is not putting up barriers to belonging and prompt an exploration of how power is held in your community. Working alongside Christians who have needed to use food banks has brought me a huge amount of joy, insight and awareness of some of my prejudices and preconceptions. Our resources are completely free and will be posted to you – place your orders here.
Jessica Foster is an Anglican Deacon who works as Head of Church Engagement at Trussell – an anti-poverty charity and community of food banks. She has been involved in interfaith work for the last two decades and is passionate about brinigng people together across perceived divides. In 2019 she was given a Lambeth Award for reconciliation and interfaith work. Jessica is also the Chair of the Churches Together in England Charities and Networks in Association.