2025 Week 20
Hello, Springers!
At the beginning of the week, I found myself in Tulsa, Oklahoma, attending an annual gathering of faith leaders who fight toxic polarization in our country.
The thing I appreciate most about the group that gathers these faith leaders and works with them is that we aren’t asked to water down our beliefs at all to participate. We work to have conversation across our lines of division, which means I have the opportunity to witness about Christ to Muslims, Jews, Mormons, and others. I get to talk about why I believe the gospel of Jesus Christ is what ultimately makes me a peacemaker.
My work here has challenged me to think about my own faith and how to communicate it to people outside of Christianity.
At the summit, I met up with a Jewish friend of mine from a progressive synagogue in Los Angeles. Most of the time, we only see each other over Zoom. In Tulsa, we met up to present together about our Zoom group.
Twice a month, I’m part of a group of conservative evangelical Christians who talk with a group of progressive Jewish men. We have discussed all kinds of divisive topics, from sexuality to the Supreme Court, from transgenderism to A.I. technology. It’s always interesting to see where we disagree and where we agree.
People want to know how to have a conversation across lines of division. We pursue a mission of peace with a culture of challenge.
It begins by being able to talk to your neighbor. Who is your neighbor? Maybe you remember how Jesus answered that question when someone asked him in Luke 10:25-37.
But we all need tools to help us in conversations like these. Here’s one I’ve used.
My friend Alex and I had a great time telling the story of our group to a room of almost 400 people. It was an honor to be asked to share. Four different people asked us when we would write a book on this. Many others kept asking us how our group came together. Others told us that they would like to go back home and do something similar.
The gathering was less than 72 hours, but I arrived back home very tired. It takes a lot of energy to share honestly and vulnerably with others, especially when it is across lines of difference. But this work is worth it.
Jesus came across the biggest dividing line to find us. He came to put on flesh and live among sinners yet without sin, so that we could be forgiven and have uninterrupted fellowship and peace with God. So his people, the church, need to model that in our relationships in the world.
If you’re interested in hearing more about this gathering and my interactions with the One America Movement let me know. I enjoy telling the story and teaching about how the gospel applied reduces toxic polarization.
in Christ,
Pastor Tag