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For anyone who’s interested, here’s an article I wrote for the Salvation Army East Midlands Divisional Newsletter which was published today:

I was nearly on television the other Sunday! ‘Nearly’ being the important word. The SA Press Office had been in touch, asking me if I was willing to represent the SA on ‘The Big Questions’ on BBC1 when the live discussion programme visited Leicester. Well, I awaited the call from the producer, but it never came. It was rather a let down, especially as I had already psyched myself up going through possible answers to the questions notified in advance.

In case you haven’t seen the programme, it deals with the big issues of religion and ethics: both dominant forces in the world today. Religion is often in the news and usually portrayed negatively as a clash of beliefs and ideologies, whilst (in an increasingly secular society) people are seeking ethical codes that stand on their own merits and not derived from religious dogma.

Both these areas are of interest to me as a Salvation Army officer in today’s post-modern world. Indeed, they have featured very strongly in my Open University studies over the years. This year I am concluding these studies with a course entitled Religion today: tradition, modernity and change. It’s basic premise concerns the role of religion today, and whether secularisation means the eventual death of religious practices and institutions. It goes to the heart of our life and mission in the 21st Century, and where better to study this subject than in Leicester!

Marta and I love living in Leicester with its rich cultural mix and wide religious diversity. And it was great last month to be wished Happy Christmas by Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus – get thee behind me political correctness! There’s a thriving interfaith community here, and we have already forged some good links with other faith communities.

One particularly significant link is with the Christian Muslim Dialogue Group, where we had the privilege (in our Salvation Army uniforms) of uniting together on a stall in the city centre. This proved quite a talking point amongst passers-by, many of whom were so encouraged to see Christians and Muslims working together. A very special conversation we witnessed was between one of the Muslims on the stall talking to a fellow Muslim who had negative (even hateful) feelings towards Christians as a result of past experiences. Our Muslim friend gently led him to an position of not judging ALL Christians on the basis of SOME Christians.

We mustn’t be afraid of engaging with those of other faiths, or think we will lose our identity. And we certainly shouldn’t perpetuate the myths disseminated by certain parts of the media. To paraphrase the title of a book I’m reading at the moment, we should celebrate our difference and stay faithful.

Here’s a final question for you to think about! Religion drags us down, faith lifts us up. Discuss. At least that’s something for me to think about while I put my television career on hold!