Reaching Out in Unity

The understanding that we are all children of God called to love and serve, gets to the heart of Christianity. In my view, this is most often the place of unity. It is remarkable in Ireland how responses to migration have led to ecumenism. In welcoming new residents, Christian churches in Waterford, Limerick, Lisburn, Dundalk, Galway, Newry, Killarney, Cork, Dublin, and Belfast and so on have come together, were drawn together through their compassion.

A Catholic nun, for instance, would be teaching English in a Church of Ireland hall to people who were seeking asylum or a Presbyterian, Methodist and Quaker would be organising a Friendship Club and providing advice to new residents. The point is that none of the cases I have encountered were individuals or churches trying to be ecumenical; rather, they simply united as they sought to address needs and were inspired by the Spirit to love and serve.

 

There is something about a ‘common cause’ or a ‘shared interest’ that brings people together. I believe that the more churches on the island of Ireland take up the call to welcome, the more unity we will see. I also observe that this in not only restricted to local church networks, but also it is reflected in inter-church relationships at higher leadership levels.

It is surprising (or maybe it is not) that the churches that have reached out and embraced newcomers have been re-vitalised, grown in numbers and been blessed. Churches who have learned to share their space, to face the challenges of inter-culturalism and to accept people warmly into their community are reaping the rewards of their love. They are also being challenged to confront serious social issues (e.g. racism and human trafficking) and to look at their way of doing things (e.g. welcome and worship).

Responding to these challenges brings life and hope. I think that it also leads people to look at how welcoming and helpful they are to those who have not migrated, to those people who are their neighbours who do not go to church and to those who go to other churches as well as to people of other faiths. Migration is a powerful catalyst with the potential to transform positively a local church and community as well as inter-church relations generally.

- Contributed by Dr. Scott Boldt, Reconciliation Officer at the Edegehill Reconciliation Programme, Belfast