Even though Lent reminds us that we are not
righteous, the Bible tells us stories of exemplars of faithful living and trust
that God counts as righteous. Abraham
was not blessed because of fidelity to the law, but “through the righteousness
of faith” (Romans 4:13b).
The promise to
Abraham and Sarah was that they would be forebears to “many nations,” thus we
cannot read this covenantal overture in an exclusive way, focusing only on the
election of Israel. Paul’s focus is on
the hopes of all who would put their trust in God’s redemptive purpose. To believe in God is to believe in the one
“who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our
trespasses and was raised for our justification” (4:25).
Over the past
couple of days I have been serving as Theologian in Residence/Visiting Scholar
in Religion for our neighboring community of Lawrence. Sponsors of this initiative are Ecumenical
Campus Ministries, Lawrence Jewish Community Center, Islamic Society of
Lawrence, KU Department of Religious Studies, and a variety of mainline
churches, including First Baptist Church.
The theme of the lectures has been “Living Religiously in a Pluralistic
Culture,” a very timely topic given the signs that religion can either be a
force for good, or can turn evil, even lethal, in the words of Charles Kimball.
After hearing a
panel comprised of a rabbi, a Greek Orthodox priest, a representative of the
Islamic society, and me, a young woman asked: “But how can I know which one is the truth?” She voiced what many ponder, which makes the
issue of faith all the more central.
Humans cannot be absolutely certain of their claims, but live in faith
and dependence upon the mercy of God.
Her question also assumes that only one of the sacred stories contains
truth.
God has been at
work through the whole of humanity’s religious history through God’s
Spirit. God is drawing persons to the
righteousness of faith, even though “we see through a glass darkly.” Christians cling to the story of Jesus as
God’s word of grace to us; others follow pathways only God can judge.
As I have listened
to the religious “other” in recent years, I have felt that some of the most
important work in our time is interfaith dialogue. Roman Catholic theologian Hans Küng
has suggested that there will not be peace in the world without peace among the
world religions, and there will be no peace among the world religions until
there is a concerted and sustained effort at dialogue. I think he is right.
Dialogue does not
mean that we ignore our differences or make some conclusions about a coherent
vision of God and what promotes human flourishing. Gaining interfaith competency is crucial for
Christian ministers, for we live in a religiously plural world.
Molly T. Marshall
Central prepares women and men for seeking God, shaping church, and serving humanity.
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