Embodying the love that Jesus Christ modelled and treating people the way we want to be treated are the best ways to face an increasingly pluralistic society. That’s the message Ryan Dueck, pastor of Lethbridge (Alta.) Mennonite Church, delivered during a July 4 Assembly 2014 seminar entitled “Hope in disorienting times: Navigating the challenge of pluralism.” Speaking to a full room, Dueck explored what exclusive allegiance to Jesus looks like in a culture that celebrates—and even demands—inclusivity. Dueck noted that, while Canadian Mennonites find themselves in a culture filled with a variety of differing religious views, pluralism should not make them afraid. He pointed to I John 4:18: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” “I don’t think we ever need to approach our neighbours as objects of fear,” Dueck said. “We need to treat them as people made in the image of God. If pluralism makes us fearful, clinging to our truth, then we have not been perfected by love.”
To see links to more Assembly content, go to Stories and images of Assembly 2014.
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