GlocalNet

Global Faith Forum—Nov. 11-13 @ NorthWood Church
by Eric Swanson

  Just want to put a plug in for an event called the Global Faith Forum sponsored by my friend, Bob Roberts of NorthWood Church in Keller Texas (http://www.GlobalFaithForum.org). This will be an incredible conversation featuring the likes of Ed Stetzer, Os Guinness, Ray Bakke, Prince Turki Al Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Vietnamese Ambassador Le Cong Phung, , Eboo Patel, and Bob Roberts, and a few others.

In this age of globalization, flattening, and diversity we can run from the conversation and join in. Can I suggest we join in the conversation.

I just ran into Bob at Leadership Network and he sais I could offer a Special “Friend of Eric Swanson” Discount!
 
Come as a special guest of Eric Swanson and receive 25% off your registration cost by entering the code “Swanson” in the discount section.
Find out more details and register online at GlobalFaithForum.org.

Voluntary Ghettos
by Steve Bezner

There is nothing greater for a Christian than the moment when your children understand the knowledge of the Gospel. I will never forget the first time I heard Ben pray at night, “God, thanks for sending your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins.”

Sure, Ben and Drew only have a child-like understanding of the faith. But they are, after all, children.

I have little doubt that they will grow in the knowledge and wisdom as they increase in age, as most all of us do.

Or do we?

A new article released today researched by the Pew Forum says that agnostics and atheists know more about the basic tenets of religions than most adherents of the religions themselves.

In other words, an agnostic or atheist is more likely to know who Martin Luther is than a Protestant Christian.

I’m not sure what is more depressing, the fact that this study was released or the fact that I was not all that surprised by the data.

For years now the American religious scene has been one of increased ignorant ghettoization in which we congregate with those who believe like us. We ignore those who are of different faiths out of a variety of motivations (suspicion, sociality, fear, etc.), and in the process, we become increasingly entrenched in our own religious culture.

But, somehow, despite the fact that we stay within our own self-imposed religious subculture, we manage to learn less about the essential doctrines of our faith.
That’s a double-whammy of sorts. We know less about the faith of others and ourselves, AND we increasingly isolate ourselves.

That sounds like a recipe for religious conflict. When I don’t know the other, what they believe, or what I believe, then anyone from anywhere can play on my ignorance and lead me to act in a way that is out of sync with the teachings of Jesus.

We must become knowledgeable of the story of Jesus, if for no other reason than to preserve our own faith, but, ideally, we need to know it so that we can share it.

Isolation was never the intent of a Savior that invaded our own world, became flesh, and lived among us.

Truthfully, we need to become more aware of those around us. I’ve mentioned this recently, but I am exceptionally encouraged by the Global Faith Forum being hosted by NorthWood Church in just a few weeks. For a few days in November, people from all sorts of religions will be congregating in an evangelical church to talk about what they believe.

This isn’t some sort of generic “dialogue.” This is about Christians meeting people of other faiths so they might genuinely understand who in the world they are supposed to know. The Forum’s lineup is fairly impressive, and it will be a unique opportunity for Christians to move from talking about other faiths to talking with other faiths. I think it is the model for the future, and I’m exceptionally excited to be involved with it. In fact, I’m planning on encouraging anyone and everyone from our fledgling church to be part of it. (If you’re in the DFW area, you really should be there; if you’re not too far away, I think it will be more than worth taking time off from work.)

The point, of course, isn’t about any particular conference. It’s about knowing the other so that we can love the other.

While reading the New Testament this morning I re-read the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus in Luke 19. A few things jumped out at me. First, Jesus loved a religious outcast that was generally despised. (Seems like we could do a better job at that.) Second, he went to the man’s home. (Seems like we could do a better job of being in the homes and communities of those different from us.) Third, the people grumbled and were displeased about him doing it. (Seems like we often don’t engage others because we’re afraid of what others might think.)

There are probably innumerable ways in which we could do this, but the point is that we do it.

Christians have created voluntary ghettos in which to hide while the world goes to Hell. We need to climb out of them and engage our cities, no matter what others believe.

May we love those who are not of our faith today. And tomorrow, as well.

Jesus certainly did.