Last week, we had the opportunity to attend Peace in the City Colloquium 2015, a Wycliffe College event in partnership with World Vision’s Canadian Programs. It was a refreshing time to meet with and learn from colleagues in similar ministries in and around the city of Toronto.
We attended the colloquium hoping to figure out how to better build peace and spread God’s love throughout the city. We finished the day with more questions than we had started off with, and this is a good thing. Here is what we learned:
Hospitality is a muscle that needs to be exercised. Some are more gifted in hospitality than others, but it must be regularly exercised in order for God to use and stretch it to its full potential.
We need to (re)educate ourselves about others. What is halal foods? What are children’s roles in different religions and cultures? What is the difference between witnessing, proselytizing, and evangelism?
Have question based conversations when speaking to new people. It is better for others to ask you questions, than to get a speech for a question they did not ask.
Radical hospitality is possible. Hint: It doesn’t have to be having people over for dinner. We were given this resource, Radical Hospitality for the Rest of Us, and it is great.
Shared priority. If we work together towards goals for the well being of humanity and the common good first, that can lead toward multi-faith cohesion.
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” -Romans 12:18