Providing Christian resources from the YMCA past and present to nourish inclusive, equitable work in our diverse and global neighborhoods that build up healthy spirit, mind and body for all.
One of the long-standing gifts of the YMCA in a community is bringing people of different religions and faith traditions together – in the gym, in the sauna, in the locker room, in the board room, in the playground, in the hallways.
Let’s keep embracing this opportunity, this responsibility, this calling to strengthen our religiously diverse association, to be the welcoming heart and hands of Christ in this global community.
I applaud the efforts of Christians in the YMCA to study and collaborate and suggest ways we could deepen our interfaith work and enrich our religious inclusivity.
It is necessary and crucial to us living out our Christian principles, it’s a way to stay faithful to the Paris Basis, our Mission, and our Constitutional Purpose.
Here is a helpful document that YUSA published in 2017 regarding an overview of diverse faiths of members and ideas on inclusive practices:
But: it assumes that someone else is nurturing an inclusive Christian personality and an inclusive Christian society that is ready to do interfaith work in a welcoming, gracious, in imitation of Jesus.
As a Christian Emphasis Director, it seems to me that an obstacle to more Christians participating in interfaith dialogue and events is their neglect of interdenominational and interconfessional participation.
If we are disregarding religious folks that believe some key things different than us, but still regard Jesus Christ as their God and Saviour, then it will be very difficult to take seriously the need to be understanding and empathetic to neighbors of other religions.
What can the YMCA do to encourage, nurture, even challenge its Christian members to embody the prayer of Jesus in John 17?
More Christians writing and working out practical ways we can embody The Beatitudes of Jesus, The Golden Rule, The Great Commandment, The Great Commission, with inclusive, gracious, hospitality will be helpful.
Jesus makes it clear in the Gospel According to Matthew that loving people that are like you, who can pay you back generously, is good – but doesn’t go far enough if you are going to love like God loves you; we must love our neighbors who won’t or can’t pay us back, we must love strangers, even our enemies – that is what God-like compassion, mercy and kindness looks like.
One of the long-standing gifts of the YMCA in a community is bringing people of different religions and faith traditions together – in the gym, in the sauna, in the locker room, in the board room, in the playground, in the hallways.
Let’s keep embracing this opportunity, this responsibility, this calling to strengthen our religiously diverse association, to be the welcoming heart and hands of Christ in this global community.
For Christians in the YMCA, we are called to love one another, our neighbor, strangers and our enemies; they may be of the same faith or not – but we have a responsibility to respect and care in imitation of Christ. This is the heart of Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21, of inclusion and equity. “Welcome is the will of God” – to quote my college theology professor Dr. Paul Fetters.
John R. Mott, a legendary YMCA leader, inspiring evangelical Christian missionary, and father of the Christian ecumenical movement, was also an instigator of the multi-faith dialogue – an epitome (though not perfect) of diverse and inclusive Christian mission up until his death in 1955.
Since then the YMCA has sought to embody the Christian faith and loyalty to Jesus in its open membership, community-based programs, and leadership development amidst very tumultuous times – there was nothing easy about navigating the societal upheavals of the 60’s and 70’s, the political and economic swings of the 80’s and 90’s, and the stumbling striving for justice in the first two decades of this second millennium.
In all honesty, diversity and inclusion between different kinds of Christians is not easy, and requires gracious hospitality – this is the heart of Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21.
Those same skills are what make interfaith dialogue and mutual understanding possible.
It is obvious that the country has become more diverse in almost every way culturally and religiously.
The YMCA is in the middle of it: so, how do we graciously and generously move forward, especially regarding interfaith relationships, including those members who do not consider themselves religious?
Below is a document produced in 2015 that the Y crafted in seeking to understand it’s membership in this regard.
Here is an excerpt that introduces it:
The YMCA of the USA recognizes that in a diverse world, we are stronger when we are inclusive and our doors are open for all.
Interfaith engagement provides an opportunity for the Y to foster empathy, understanding, and awareness.
This document is a summary of a collaborative project on interfaith engagement conducted by the Aspen Institute Justice & Society Program (JSP) and the YMCA of the USA (Y-USA).
The YMCA of the USA, one of the nation’s leading youth development organizations, has participated in IAP (Inclusive America Project) from its inception.
Neil Nicoll, President and CEO of Y-USA, attended both panel meetings and contributed an essay to the Principled Pluralism report.
As an outgrowth of Mr. Nicoll’s involvement in the Inclusive America Project, the Aspen Institute and Y-USA worked together to examine how religious diversity affects Ys across the nation and explore potential strategies for further engagement.
I appreciate the practical spirit of this document, crafted by YMCA leaders seeking to put Christian principles into practice.
It seems to me that every generation of the YMCA has to do some contextual digging, discerning what are the forces that have been shaping the times they are living and leading in, and then discern how to be wise, creative, and just in moving forward.
For Christians in the YMCA, we are called to love one another, our neighbor, strangers and our enemies; they may be of the same faith or not – but we have a responsibility to respect and care in imitation of Christ.
That is the heart of John 17:21, of religious diversity and inclusion, of hospitality, of the kingdom of God.
If you’re anything like me, sometimes you get in a “woe is me” place and you wonder – does it matter if I show up, if I care, if I put in the effort?
Yes, you matter – it matters how you show up, how you prepare, how you play, and how your pray.
Your loving presence and prayers matter to the children and youth in your life.
Your caring matters.
The attention and attitude, your presence and posture matter to the children you serve before and after school.
Here is a story of Jesus blessing children that reminds me of how much it matters:
“Then Jesus came to Capernaum.”
And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?”
But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.
And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”
[from Gospel according to Mark 9:33-37 NKJV]
Take a few moments to soak in the loving attention and caring presence of Jesus with the children.
Imagine that is you being drawn close, embraced by the safe and strong kindness of Christ.
And if we take Jesus at his word, when you care for children “in his name” – inspired by his presence in your life – God is present to that little one.
Whoa.
Your caring matters.
You showing up matters.
You being present matters.
You being attentive and safe and trustworthy matters.
Your work matters. The children you care for matter. You matter.
If you’re anything like me, sometimes you get in a melancholy attitude and you wonder – does it matter if I show up, if I care, if I put in the effort?
Yes, you matter – it matters how you show up, how you prepare, how you play, and how your pray.
Your presence and prayers of love matter to the children and youth in your life.
You praying for the kids in your care matters. You praying for their families matters. You praying for your family matters. You praying for your coworkers matters. You praying for your self matters.
If we look around at the world as some kind of guide for how much children matter, how much our caring for them matters, if you based it on wages or prestige or fame, you’d have to conclude that there’s a lot of “talk” but in reality it’s a low value.
But when you listen to the words of Christ, when you see his example, when we believe his instructions, we can conclude that caring for children in the way of Jesus is bring Heaven to Earth, is how God is present to the little ones in our life.
Whoa.
When we care for children with the tenderness and strength with which God loves us, when let children into our life the way we let Jesus into our life, the way we “receive” children is a way for us to “receive” God.
Being with children is a holy, sacred, beautiful, joyous work that requires us to be humble, forgiving, loyal, trustworthy, open, and playful.
It requires lots of love.
St. Paul in his letter to a church failing miserably at honoring each other, he wrote a memorable, provoking, lyrical poem to inspire them to love like God loves them.
It includes this reminder: “love is patient, love is kind.”
It’s a very practical and concrete example.
You know when you have been irritably impatient with a child, when you have spoken unkindly in exasperation and weariness.
It’s easy to defend our impatience and unkindness: if “their” behavior was better, or if we weren’t so tired, or…etc.
But: patience and kindness are acts of love precisely because we are usually irritated by something, generally weary and easily exasperated – it’s in those dreary moments that love is needed most.
When you are at your best with children it’s usually when you’ve chosen patience while still irritable, choosing kind words instead of snapping back – you know when you do it, you sense it in your spirit, and even if no one notices or compliments you on it, it matters, God sees it, and it is significant.
Keep doing the work of patience and kindness when you are tired and stretched thin – it’s good for your spirit, it’s healing for the spirit of the children in your life, and it’s a way that God is present in our midst.
I invite you to meditate on this artistic images of Jesus, to see the patience and kindness in his presence with the children.
See yourself as one of those children, receiving his patience and kindness.
See yourself as being one with Jesus, giving patience and kindness to the children in your life.
Take a moment to text a friend or send a note in the post mail, reminding them that they matter to you, to God, that their caring and kindness to children matters, and that their work matters to families in our community.
May the Grace and Peace of Christ Jesus be with you, always.
