One of the much neglected aspects of spiritual journeying is the sense of travelling together on this path of faith. In the West we have made much of our individuality, socially and spirituality and have, I think sadly, lost much of the communal exploration of faith and a sense of sharing in this experience.
In the ancient Hebrew faith from which Christianity evolved and in the early days of the growing Christian communities that came to be known as ‘Church’ there was a recognition that part of this whole life of faith was about commitment to a sense of community and shared exploration of life and faith, and alongside that a calling to look beyond those who were ‘members’ of the immediate faith community, and particularly to care for the poor and needy – putting faith into action together.
So I’ve been heartened to see the emergence of a group called ‘Greater Victoria Acting Together For The Common Good’ – or GVAT for short (www.gvat.ca) which consists of Faith groups (including my own community of St John the Divine Anglican Church), local unions, and civic groups seeking to make a positive difference in the Greater Victoria area. This isn’t a faith-based initiative, and the concerns addressed and campaigned for will be set by the wider community, but the fact that communities including churches and our downtown Congregation Emannu-el Synagogue will be a part of this is a positive example of spirituality in action and a reminder that in community we can find a strength, and have an influence, that as individuals we might not.
At the heart of Christian faith is an understanding that we are better together. We gather in worship, in prayer and in action in order to support one another, to challenge one another, and to seek a path together and to make a positive difference in the world. When the writers of the Christian Scriptures talked of ‘Church’ they didn’t think of buildings, or meetings, or services, or an institution; they were talking about the followers of Jesus being together as a group, caring for one another and for all those around. St Paul, one of the earliest Christian writers, goes so far as to describe the Christian community as ‘the body of Christ’ – a group that should be as close to one another as the parts of a human body are.
There are times we need our ‘alone time’, there are things we must take individual responsibility for, and there are times when we have to face both the good and bad in life by ourselves – but the teaching of the Church, and indeed of many spiritual traditions and different religious groups, is that in a shared walk, in collective responsibility, we find something more, something deeper, than ‘my faith’ or ‘my opinion’. When we have to work together, take note of one another’s diverse viewpoints, care for one another even when we don’t agree or dislike each other (it happens!) then we are challenged to discover what love in action really is. Then our spiritual walk becomes a journey of discovery, of learning, of serving, of caring – and of seeking to be people who love one another, finding strength in that loving community to serve the wider community. Then we are better together.
Alastair McCollum is Rector of St. John the Divine Anglican Church in Victoria. He has a passion for the Gospel, motorbikes and bike culture, worship, philosophy, theology, guitars, single malt whisky, real ale, cinema and all things French. You can find Alastair at the church website: www.stjohnthedivine.bc.ca and on his blog: fracme.blogspot.ca
You can read more articles on our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking. HERE
This article was published in the print edition of the Times Colonist on Saturday, January 28 2017
