A few days Malcolm posted on the tensions of a missional community. I thought that i'd pick up on a few of his thoughts, really to question whether an ethical community can ever really be missional and inclusive.
An ethnical community needs definition and there appear to be two ways that this definition is sought, one relies on patriotism and the other on nationalism: Patriotism gives people a choice about joining the ethical community, to join the ranks all that is required is that one makes the right choice and remains loyal to it through thick and thin for ever after.
Nationalism, on the other hand, is more like the Calvinist version of salvation or St. Augustine’s idea of free will: it puts little trust in choice – you are either ‘one of us’ of you are not, and in either case you can do nothing to change it
There is a subtle but important distinction here; patriotism welcomes a diversity of people into the community and then assimilates them, nationalism, on the other hand, rejects people who are not like them. Whilst patriotism is, at least on the face of it, more hospitable and tolerant it still seeks homogeneity. Patriotism seeks homogeneity by assimilation whereas nationalism seeks it be exclusion. Both ideologies have a remarkably similar result as neither of them allow people to belong whilst staying attached to their differences; to belong you must become like us. You could argue that by being patriotic for the church you we are being missional - you are encouraging people to make life choices that affirm that they are like you: a follower of Christ.
However this is not how unity is best achieved. It is best achieved without nationalism or patriotism but through a process of negotiation and conciliation of our natural differences. Therefore, rather than seeking to assimilate or exclude others we except the diversity of living in a modern pluralist society and you become a totally inclusive community with no boundaries.
Which one should the church seek to be?
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