Post modern society offers a communication challenge for people of faith. As the internet expands our abilities to meet human beings across the planet, ideologies, religions, philosophies and cultural practices find themselves on a collision course, not just occasionally, but daily.

Before the “virtual revolution,” geographic isolation allowed for the possibility of cultural isolation. We could live in a little town and hold our opinions and beliefs with relative confidence. Educated people could afford to be theoretically tolerant of other cultures and religions, while never having to actually to explain or defend their own ways of thinking.

Such isolation is no longer possible. Even if you choose to live “off grid,” avoiding internet, TV, radio, or even electricity, you won’t really be able to free yourself from the forces that are rapidly pulling the whole world into your back yard.

We can no longer ignore the realities of other religions or ideologies. We can no longer disregard spiritual cultures that are unfamiliar, nor be blind to the strange cultural landscapes that lie beyond our horizons.

Somehow, we must learn to leave our spiritual castles, meet the wider world, and begin a relationship with others whose experiences are both similar and widely dissimilar from our own. And, if we are persons of faith, we must learn to do so without compromising our most cherished beliefs.

How? In observing the columns of our own Townsman, I have witnessed two approaches, to which I would like add a third.

First, it seems that there are those whose who respond to the plurality of the 21st century by “raising the drawbridge.” They take refuge in simply repeating what they know to be true, over and over again. When they encounter a different experience, they may smile and be polite, but secretly they draw blinds and shut doors in their minds. For those who hold such an approach, you are either “in” or “out,” and it usually takes them no more than a few minutes to decide where you belong.

We see the “raise the drawbridge” mentality in every social, cultural and religious context. It exists in Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox churches. It exists in Islamic, Jewish, and Hindu circles. It takes non-religious flavours in tribes, ethnocentrisms, nationalisms and fascisms of all kinds. Its primary characteristics are closed and simple mindedness. It sees things in black and white, lacking generosity, mercy, compassion, and above all, love.

Those who react to this sectarian approach, however, frequently fall prey to the opposite tendency: throw open the doors and abandon the castle! So concerned are these folks with getting along with their new neighbours that they are willing to jettison anything that may cause conflict or disagreement. Encountering unfamiliar beliefs, their first impulse is to highlight the areas of common ground and either pretend the points of divergence don’t exist, or else “celebrate” them as if they were merely flavours of ice cream or colours of the rainbow. Their primary conviction is that the similarities are the main thing, while the differences are optional.

This attitude, sometimes called relativism or pluralism, is not the sole preserve of the so-called “liberals.” I have heard well-meaning “conservative” Christians say things like “we all worship the same God, even if we have different ways of worshiping Him” or “no one Church has an exclusive line on the truth.” In our anxiety to get along, we all too easily compromise beliefs and practices that are really important (if not essential) to our spiritual identities.

Is there a third alternative to raising the drawbridge or abandoning the castle? How about lowering the drawbridge?

When we encounter beliefs and cultures that differ from our own, we need not compromise those values that we hold dear. We can state clearly and without apology what we hold to be true. We can “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15) without feeling the need to apologize or soft pedal. And also in the spirit of love, we can assert that we are right and someone else is wrong.

While not quitting in our castle, though, we need not also pull up the drawbridge. Holding fast to our convictions doesn’t mean shutting the doors of our ears and minds to the convictions of others. On the contrary, the best witness to the strength of our faith is our ability to fully understand where others really stand. And if we listen well enough, we may eventually be able to discover real points of commonality, bridges that can lead to a genuine unity of mind and heart.

This way of responding to our world’s increasing diversity requires effort. We must take the time to learn what people believe and how they live, not just superficially, but in depth. We must take the time to build long-term relationships with no other intention than to know another human being, just as they are. We must be ready to examine and even question our deepest assumptions, being open to the possibility that some of them may not be as fundamental as we supposed…

And above all, we must not fear embarking on the conversation. If our faith is true and real, it will survive even the liveliest encounter with the most alien points of view. We will certainly face times of confusion and doubt; that’s just the reality of living in a complex world. However, those times will pass if we are truly honest and thorough in our desire for Reality.

When asked to describe the greatest commandment of the law, Jesus replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." (Matt. 22:37-40)

It couldn’t be said any better than that. Lower the drawbridge, my friends. It’s time to meet the neighbours.