Social Justice adviser Hannah Ling has collated some resources to help parishes have some of the tricky conversations around Christian nationalism and supporting minority groups.
As members and leaders of churches, it can be difficult to know how to talk about contentious issues. We can worry about ‘getting it right’, about causing friction and entering disagreement, but we can also worry about the impacts of not speaking up and the division in communities caused by anonymity and misinformation if we don’t talk to others who are different and work to understand each other better.
Some of the issues that you might find difficult to have conversations about in your communities may be in relation to:
- Asylum seekers, refugees, and migration
- Poverty assistance and Universal Credit
- Addiction
- Race equality
- Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities
- LGBTQIA+ rights, or using Prayers of Love and Faith
If we’re not willing to talk about these issues, they remain unaddressed and can fester, and we risk issues rearing their heads in ugly ways. Some of which, we’ve seen over recent years, such as in riots outside hotels accommodating asylum seekers, the forcing of Traveller and Romany Gypsy children and young people on trains by police to prevent them from attending Manchester’s Christmas market, and rising physical violence and verbal harassment experienced by trans and non-binary people. We are also seeing the increasing polarisation and tensions in local communities, and concern over a growing far-right movement.
It’s been shown that just a single 10-minute conversation which encourages people to actively take the perspective of others can markedly reduce prejudice for a sustained period of time1.
Why is this important for us as Christians?
Every person is created in the image of God and is worthy of respect, and kindness. ‘So God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them’ - Genesis 1:27
We’re a diverse humanity, and one day people from all different backgrounds, heritages, experiences, and languages will stand united before God. ‘From every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.’ – Revelation 7:9
If we are to be the body of Christ, caring for each other and choosing to listen to different opinions; one part of the body can not say to another that it does not matter. ‘You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.’ – 1 Corinthians 12:27
We’re called to stand up for justice and the rights of marginalised people. ‘Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy’ - Proverbs 31:8-9