Biblical Jazz

Below are my reflections on the insight session on Persecution of Christians led by Robert Johansen professor of peace studies at Notre Dame. Jim Hardenbrook began the session with a passage in Hebrews 13:3 Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.
Johansen told us according to the UN religious persecution and religious discrimination exists in half the countries of the world. Johansen argues that the reason Christians (Church of the Brethren) should be concerned about the persecution of Christians because they are human beings. Christians value compassion. This means that Christians should oppose any form of religious persecution and discrimination.
Religious persecution and discrimination is not only bad theology it is illegal Johansen stated. International law outlaws religious persecution. However, religious persecution and the discrimination persist. Religious liberty flourishes in the context where the rule of law is the norm. Here the rule of law means the free exercise of religion and non-faith. Religious tradition is an identity marker. Persecution for identity markers are another way to purge a nation of minorities whether racial, religious, ethnic or otherwise.
An idea that requires more attention is the religious intolerance gap. The pre-occupation with religious liberty is a necessary element because of the need for reciprocity. Many churches with origins in the radical reformation (Anabaptist and Baptist) know firsthand religious persecution. However, when those roots move from firsthand memory then the solidarity with the persecuted exhorted in Hebrews becomes more difficult to nurture.
A crass solution of force or violence often instigates counter-violence. One sees a a cycle of violence and counter-violence, or violence and vengeance.
Johansen told us that “genocide” is a technical term in international law which explains the reticence of U.S. officials to use the term.
The long range prevention of religious persecution and discrimination is peace building. This includes economic development, democracy and education. Johansen told us that recent research proves that increased contact across boundaries proportionally reduces violence ahead of time. This would re-frame the ecumenical and inter-faith dialogue task. It is now a matter of peace building. This becomes an organic ecumenism. The pro-active work is building an infra-structure of trust that becomes the peace-building work of ecumenism.
Mike Hostetter told us that in the nineteenth and twentieth century certainty of faith became the gold standard of faith and subverted the peace building work of faith. Further it misses the provocative work of the Cross as a metaphor of contingency not a certainty that masks social and political powers.
A key question is how we can nurture a passion for this view of ecumenism and pro-active peace-building. It is good for us to return to Hebrew 13:3.