"Faith is a personal belief, trust, and commitment to God, but I’m using it in the sense that means a religious community of faith. It’s what you live for, i.e., the ultimate concern. We need a community to share our vision of God, to encourage one another, to work together, to share in rites, ceremonies, and holidays that express our religious beliefs.

“Being part of a community of faith endows our joys and sorrows with a bigger sense,” said Martin Marty, renowned theologian. “All religions have an end goal of peace, reconciliation, or shalom."

“Faiths collide because people have strong views on their convictions,” said Marty. “Communities become competitive, exclusive, and reject others who don’t share their beliefs. They don’t know how to interact with the people of different faiths they encounter in the workplace, the government, and the news. Yet, mass media brings us in contact with each other in front page news every day. These collisions of faith occur over issues of sexuality, gender, family, and education. We feel threatened by change to things we intimately believe in, but we can’t wall ourselves off from mass media.”

“People assume they will have to give up something to interact with someone of another faith. I think you learn more about who you are from those interactions. I think we need to risk hospitality. Get to know people of other faiths before a conflict occurs. This is something to do in the serenity of your community. People used to live with their own kind, but with mass media there is no place to hide.

“Some folk say we should be tolerant of one another, but they really are saying ‘Believe as little as I do and we’ll get along.’

“It’s better to follow Scripture and relate to others with sincere hospitality. In the Old Testament, it was considered a sin to reject hospitality. Hospitality involves risk. You learn new things. It’s not the setting for conversion. It is the atmosphere for conversation. Conversation is a period of questions and answers. Conversion presents pressure and argument. Conversation won’t make all situations serene, but it will change attitudes. It will foster economic collaborations, exchange programs and mutual respect,” said Marty.

Lynn Larson, Adventist Midwest Health public relations specialist

Author's Note: Martin Marty is the author of 50 books and 5,000 articles and is a columnist for Christian Century. A former professor of religious history, he taught in the Divinity School at the University of Chicago for 35 years. The Advanced Study of Religion at the University of Chicago was renamed the Martin Marty Center to honor its founding director for his singular distinction as historian, author, and commentator on religion and public life.

Sidebar

Bolingbrook, a southwest suburb of Chicago, is the site of the first Illinois hospital to be built in 25 years, and Adventist Midwest Health (AMH) is the conduit for this healing ministry.

“With construction of Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital underway and anticipated to open in 2007, Adventist Midwest Health hopes to foster dialogue and understanding between diverse faiths in the surrounding communities,” said John Rapp, D. Min., AMH vice president for ministries and mission.

AMH recently sponsored a luncheon for area clergy, businessmen, and village officials, with the renowned theologian, Martin E. Marty, as guest speaker. His topic was “When Faiths Collide,” which is also the title of his latest book.

“We want to partner with the community to bring excellent health care with a strong spiritual aspect to the area served by Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital,” said Rapp. “This conversation is about engaging the community to patients spiritually and in healing at our hospitals.”

Lynn Larson, Adventist Midwest Health public relations specialist