About AMCU IV (3)

BEYOND OUR TRADITION

A generous spirit. This is what it takes for the participants to be at the event. They must leave aside the longstanding theological differences of their various traditions and come together as the Body of Christ to tackle tough issues that arise from the social realities in Asia.

A generous spirit. A scarce virtue among Christians today, at least within the Protestant circles. In Malaysia, we Protestants would rather not associate ourselves with Christians of other traditions, namely Roman Catholics. If we were to meet a Roman Catholic, we would tend to treat them more as an object for potential conversion than a mutual subject. Yet, I realize that many of us are guilty of hurling false accusations at them (of embracing erroneous beliefs) as a result of our inadequate and superficial understanding of their tradition.

A generous spirit. This is what it takes for us to be appreciative of other traditions. Learn about Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, for there is so much in these two traditions (which have a longer Christian history than us) that can enrich and refine our understanding of Christianity. Rather than insisting that our own tradition is the authentic faith, perhaps we should begin to adopt a posture of humility and generosity to learn about other traditions. As we learn about other traditions, we will realize that there is a great need for us to learn from other traditions to enrich our own poverty.

In working towards Christian unity, perhaps leaving aside our theological differences is only the first step. As we begin to learn to appreciate other traditions and recognize the contributions that these traditions are offering to the enrichment of the Body of Christ, we would not merely recognize and accept their existence, but we would even be willing to bring these theological differences into our conversations with an appreciative and teachable spirit. This, I believe, is a step closer to Christian unity.

Traditions should not merely live in a state of co-existence. When we begin to look beyond our own tradition and embrace the beauty and richness of other traditions, perhaps then we can truly come together as one Body.