"God
has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and
of love and of a sound mind."
2
Timothy 1:7
I highly doubt
I am the first to think this way, but it is amazing how much
you learn about who you are and where you come from while
spending time in a new place. During my time in Belfast with
the Centre for Contemporary Christianity I have learned so
much about the issues and challenges facing Northern Ireland
- both past and present. Yet what has surprised me most is
how much this experience has caused me to reflect on the challenges
in my own community, as well as how strikingly similar (but
also very different!) the current changes and trends in American
and Northern Irish society and culture are. Until recently
I was naïve enough to believe that all the really "interesting"
conflicts, divided societies, and "mission fields"
for reconciliation were outside of the United States. Perhaps
it is a very American mentality to think that if a person
comes from a privileged and relatively peaceful society, the
best way to use one's skills and resources is to go and help
"fix" the problems of "less fortunate"
countries. I thought that because of Northern Ireland's years
of experience in peacemaking and reconciliation, my short
time here would at least begin to equip me with the tools
needed to bring the Gospel message of reconciliation to distant,
war-torn countries. I still believe that international mission
is a part of the ministry of reconciliation. However, my time
in Belfast has made it quite clear to me that the United States
is also in dire need of reconciliation - on many different
levels.
Perhaps one of the greatest
challenges facing Northern Ireland in its "post-Troubles
but not post-conflict" society is pluralism - not just
ethnic and religious differences, but also a variety of
cultural values and worldviews that are part of living in
a post-modern, secular society. I believe a common myth
about the United States is that because most of our distant
relatives were immigrants at some point, we are more tolerant
and open to difference. While this might be true to some
extent, it seems that the "birds of a feather flock
together" mentality - perhaps the way of shaping identity
and a sense of "belonging" that is most "natural"
to human beings - is still very prevalent in the "melting
pot" that is said to be America.
Related to the task of living
with those who are different is the emotion of fear, and
something else that has really struck me throughout my time
here is how universal this human emotion is. It seems that
our natural tendency as fallen human beings is to fear "the
other" and live according to the mentality that the
only way "our group" (whether that identity is
defined by religion, nationality, political views, race,
etc.) will only survive if we protect ourselves from those
who seem intent on changing our way of life, taking our
resources, and destroying our values. In "diverse"
nations like the United States, we often deal with plurality
by promoting "politically correct" language and
laws that protect against discrimination. Yet this does
not mean that our hearts are actually changed, or that fear
of difference is extinguished. If anything, it seems that
fear has become even more widespread in our post-9/11 society.
Fear is often very palpable
in the church, especially as society becomes more secular,
our values and traditions seem to be under attack, and our
voices in the public sphere fall on disinterested ears.
Yet 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that, "God has not given
us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound
mind." Anyone who has ever been overtaken by the grip
of sudden fear knows that it is not an empowering emotion
- it causes us to freeze up, to become disabled. If the
church wishes to engage society and remain a source of "salt
and light" in the world, it must reject all spirits
of fear by clinging to prophetic faith in Christ and radical
hope in what God is doing in our midst. My time with "the
Centre" has taught me this lesson more than anything
else, and is one I am grateful for and passionate about
bringing back to my own community. It seems to me that the
people who make up CCCI are truly seeking to live according
to a spirit "of power and of love and of a sound mind."
After the perceived
and real threats of the Protestant Reformation, the persecutions
of the French Revolution, and the scientific and philosophical
attacks of the Enlightenment, the Catholic Church turned in
upon itself and sought to "ride out the storm" in
relative isolation. Closing our doors and putting up barriers
in the name of security - whether through a "peace line"
or a fence along the US-Mexico border - seems to be a common
and "natural" way for humans to deal with external
threats. When Pope John XXIII called the Second Vatican Council
in 1962, he said that the council was meant to open up a window
in the Catholic Church and let in "a breath of fresh
air."
With a devolved and stable
government in place, it seems that Northern Ireland is also
in a position to cast off remaining traces of fear and let
in fresh air. Perhaps the role of the church is to continue
opening up the windows.
Ashlee Chowen
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