Mission in a Pluralistic World - Mr. K. Laltlankima

Posted On: 2007-08-22 16:43:06 By: SCMI

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Mission in a Pluralistic World

K. Laltlankima

 

There is no denying the fact that we live in a pluralistic world. Even in missiological discussion today, this has become an almost taken-for-granted presupposition. Emilio Castro in his lecture at Boston University in 1985 said, “This pluralism is not a new reality for many Christians who for centuries—and still today—are daily involved in relations of trust and friendship—and also conflict—with neighbours who are motivated by diverse religious convictions.” There is a new thing (may not be for all) in a Christian world today; and that is nearly all Christians are exposed to personal relations with people of other faiths. Therefore, mission in today’s world is no longer something carried on in distant lands to unknown people. In today’s context, mission rather becomes building relationship with our neighbours.

 

We live in a context where our immediate neighbors belong to different faith and conviction. It looks as if we took this for granted. Even those who support or send missionaries to distant land with a purpose to enlighten them with the Gospel did not bother to reflect this situation from a missiological point of view. Earlier, people of other faiths have been the object of our mission. But today, it is a question of living side by side and recognizing virtues and values in the lifestyle of people who happen to be our neighbors (Emilio Castro). In such situation, it may not be the wisest thing for the Church to attempt to mobilize an evangelistic effort among people of other faiths who seem to be very happy with their own faith. Therefore, it is not surprising to see the Church concentrating her mission on service and development to proclaim the Kingdom of God here on earth.

 

In a pluralist society such as India, it is not wise to discuss mission in relation to the external world alone. By external world I mean people of other faith living in distant lands. Our discussion on mission should rather be inside our very own soul with an attempt to discern our real human and Christian identity. As Christians, let us admire once again Jesus Christ who chose not to distant himself to the human situation but to come fully to participate in human sufferings, joys, and expectations. Let us be reminded of the fact that the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is an invasion of love in history. Jesus wanted to assure the continuation of the action of God, in the same spirit of self-giving, creative suffering and joyful anticipation of the resurrection through the calling of the disciples and the establishing of the Church. The centre of our faith should be God for others, God for humanity (Emilio Castro). The missionary proclamation, service, love, participation in human struggle in the name of Christ is neither optional nor can be avoided. “Such witness is wholly legitimate; it arises out of a profound spirituality that fills our life as we encounter Christ. That cries out to be shared, but it can only be shared in humility (Wesley S. Ariarajah, 1985).

 

Renowned Indian theologians like S.J. Samartha strongly propose “dialogue” as the best way to describe the attitude that corresponds to Christians in relation to other religions. It is true that there are people who have a particular evangelistic vocation and others who feel that their vocation is the promotion of inter-religious dialogue. But in no case could the evangelists could do without a dialogical attitude, and no dialogue would be real and honest if the evangelistic dimension of our being Christians is absent (Emilio Castro). Dialogue must be recognized as an attitude that corresponds to God’s own attitude toward Humankind manifested in Jesus Christ: not imposing but offering; not crusading but self-surrendering (Emilio Castro). Dialogue should not simple see others as an object of missionary endeavor, rather as a subject.

 

In our Christian mission endeavor affirmations like “there is no other name by which we could be saved,” “there is no other foundation…,” “there is no other God,” Jesus is the only way,” etc., often create stumbling block in our approaches to people of other faiths. It may not me wrong to say that this is the point of departure for religious fundamentalism. These lines could only be helpful inside our own faith or confession. The Christian as a missionary is not sent to a hunting ground to look for individuals. The Christian is sent to share, to serve, to be as Christ was in the midst of the people, participating fully in their pain, sufferings and hopes. It is to participate in human encounter where we share the common struggle for overcoming all human alienation, for creating a human society, for assuring the future of humankind. There is wholeness in such missionary approach as it corresponds to our awareness of the Kingdom of God as the horizon of the fulfillment of all things in Christ.

 

We also need to realize the need, at this juncture, to pay close attention to the actual reality of the encounter with people of other faiths. A real Christian mission should begin by helping people to be themselves, to organize and develop their own religious life so that when they are able to say “no,” they could be challenged to say “yes,” to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christian mission should facilitate the reassumption of a protagonist role, the capacity to reaffirm one’s freedom to make personal decision.

 

 

Mr. K. Laltlankima finished his BD studies from United Theological College on 2007.