Faith Matters: Is faith private or public?

By The Rev. Eliot Moss

Vicar, St. John's Episcopal Church

Published: 04-01-2016 8:54 PM

(Editor's note: The following is a submission to The Recorder's weekly column titled “Faith Matters.” Each Saturday, a different faith leader in Franklin County offers a personal religious perspective in this space. For information on becoming part of this series, email religion@recorder.com or call 413-772-0261, ext. 265.)

Probably most of us would say that our faith, whether or not it fits the description of any religion tradition, is a personal thing. It cuts close to the bone; it is deep in our spirits and our hearts.

It is not a big leap from saying faith is personal to saying that it is private. Certainly, we need to be careful about the privacy of others in inquiring about their faith. But does this mean that faith is only about my personal relationship with God (a higher power, the universe)? Such a faith is a half measure, maybe less than half. If our faith does not affect how we act in public, then it is a weak faith, in the sense that it is not involving action to change the world.

Faith should matter. It should affect how we spend our time and money, what kinds of work we pursue and how we do it, and yes, faith should have something to say about how we vote. By that, I do not mean some automatic alignment of our religious affiliation with a political party. Rather, I mean a deep consideration of how different candidates align with our faith's core ideals and values.

My particular tradition, the Episcopal Church, happens to have bishops, and they gather regularly to pray, learn, consult with each other and determine how Episcopalians can ever more faithfully follow the way of Jesus. (We also have conventions where lay people and other clergy influence budget and resolutions of the Church.)

At their most recent gathering, our bishops were moved to write a pastoral letter. It reminded us that (as we believe) Christ died and God raised Him up to show that love conquers fear and hate. More specifically, they began their letter by saying, “We reject the idolatrous notion that we can ensure the safety of some by sacrificing the hopes of others.”

A few more brief quotes: “On Good Friday ... they sacrificed the weak and blameless to protect their own status and power.” “Americans ... seek to secure their own safety and security at the expense of others.” “We must respect the dignity of every human being and we must seek the common good above all else.” Here, the common good does not mean what is good for all Americans, but what is good for all humans around the world. In fact, it's broader than that: What is good for all of Creation!

So, our faith directs us, I believe, to welcome the stranger, which includes refugees and immigrants. It directs us to care for the environment. It directs us to be concerned about growing disparities of wealth and stagnation of the real value of wages. It directs us to be concerned about locking up people for nonviolent drug crimes, with great disparities of racial and ethnic background. It directs us to care — to care not just about our own pocketbooks but about everybody’s pocketbooks, not just about our own health and education or that of our town, but the health and education of all people.

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We are to be agents change, of a kind of change that brings hope, even while realizing that we will never get it exactly right.

But if we follow our faith publicly as well as privately, with sincerity, humility — a willingness to see when we are wrong and to try to do better — we will be forgiven, we will live into the love that is always on offer. So we believe.

I am proud that the congregation I serve is dedicated to these principles, and is engaged in actions that show it — helping refugees and new mothers, and striving to reach out more to those around us who have fallen through the cracks of our society and culture. Yet we are ever conscious that there is so much more to be done. But, trying to take hold of that new life that Jesus offers, we still move forward with hope.

About St. John’s Episcopal Church

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Main and South streets, Ashfield, welcomes all to join with us in seeking to follow Jesus. Our worship, similar to Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches, includes Bible readings, preaching, prayer, singing hymns, and Holy Communion. We are open and affirming, with respect to sexuality, marital status, etc., and represent a range of belief and spiritual practice. We strive to serve the world in Ashfield and beyond. Worship is at 10 a.m. Sundays, followed by coffee hour. We are a congregation of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts and thus of The Episcopal Church, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. You may contact the church by calling 413-628-4402 or by email at stjohnsashfield@verizon.net.

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