Great Expectations

I confess that I have days when I wonder, will we ever see the changes we want to experience in our communities and in the world. On other days, I wonder what it will take to affect these changes we want to see, when so much seems to be at odds with justice and truth in the world. Sometimes it feels that even in the church there is satisfaction found in preaching to the choir, talking to people who think the same way we do and believe the things we believe.

The voices that scream the loudest that there is silence coming from the church or from leaders are at times the voices that could be building bridges and creating avenues for advocacy and action. Because, if we want change, then we must be willing to pay the personal price for getting there. Change will not come because we will it or want it. Change will come because we take the steps necessary and accessible to us.

And then there are our leaders. The people who are called to be out front, knowing when to lean in and when to step back. Knowing when to speak and when to be quiet. Knowing when to build bridges and when to be a part of dismantling systems. What are our expectations of those who lead? What are the expectations we hold for ourselves in these movements for change?

I was a part of a delegation of faith leaders who participated in Egyptian-US dialogue. A part of our time together included a meeting at the United Nations with the Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), which seeks to “build bridges between societies and promotes dialogue and understanding.” The panel discussion in which I participated was Countering extremism and radical ideologies: A multistakeholder approach.

The world is experiencing radicalization and extremism in ways that are affecting peace. Religious radicalization is a slow creep in societies with the result changing societies and in some cases fueling wars with hate, discrimination and injustice. Egyptian representatives shared their concerns about radicalization in their context; I shared about the dangers of religious nationalism in the United States with its support of a narrative that is not reflective of the Christian faith. What are the expectations for peace in the world, when so much is escalating with the resulting divides among people being underpinned by suspicion, distrust and lies?

In Germany, there is concern for the political landscape that emerged here in the US. The election of the 47th president and the authoritarian agenda being implemented has resonances with totalitarian regimes in Europe’s history. Germans are interested in preserving their democracy. The terror of Adolf Hitler still lingers. And for those who grew up in East Germany, there is pain and fear as they watch the government in the US and the actions of the President.

The German far-right political party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been increasing in popularity in the polls and in its influence of and support from many members of the current administration in the US. On May 2, Germany’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution (equivalent of the FBI), formally designated AfD as extremist. There was mostly silence in the world to this bold announcement, even though the party has seats in the Bundestag (German federal parliament). AfD also has an anti-immigration focus, a nationalist agenda, and Christian supporters.

Christianity is being co-opted globally. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last that Christians find themselves grappling with what it means to be Christian in a contemporary context where discontent is evident, and the fears and anxieties of people are exploited by politicians and power mongers. Christianity has never been monolithic and yet, followers of Jesus have core beliefs that should transcend the political challenges that are used to redirect how we love our neighbors as ourselves.

Germans have called out their extremist group as such, with the church – Catholic and Protestant – taking clear stances against AfD. Here in the United States, the church must also identify extremism and continue to differentiate between hatred and fear while living God’s love as a gift in our world.