Bath inter faith group member Rupert Kaye, a former head teacher, offers a personal view on why his Methodist faith tradition calls him to work with other faiths

My commitment to interfaith dialogue and bridge-building is driven by my own Christian faith. My beliefs, values and actions have been (and continue to be) shaped by:

  • my prayer and worship life, and relationship with God
  • my knowledge and understanding of The Bible
  • the teachings and traditions of the Methodist Church
  • my interactions with many, many people (in person, in literature, over time)
  • my conscience

In common with people of many faiths, beliefs and spiritualities – I strive to live according to the Golden Rule by doing unto others all the good/kind/helpful/ compassionate/generous things I would love them to do unto me.

For me, John Wesley’s Rule of Life captures perfectly the Golden Rule vibe:

Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.

In seeking to ‘do all the good … in all the ways … in all the places … to all the people’, Methodists like me find ourselves impelled to stand unequivocally against antisemitism, Islamophobia and all forms of racism, prejudice, hatred and discrimination.

Yes, I do see it as my Christian duty to love all of my neighbours in and across the city of Bath, regardless of religion, denomination or worship tradition. However, I also enjoy spending time with people of many and varied faiths and beliefs. It’s intellectually stimulating. It’s fun. And, in my experience, often the serious business of promoting peaceful, respectful, harmonious coexistence through interfaith dialogue involves food.

So here is my closing thought: We should never underestimate the power of hospitality. Let us continue to ‘break bread together’ as we recommit ourselves to learning about and learning from each other’s faith traditions, so we may better reflect on our own beliefs, values and actions. Methodist theology is applied, practical and pastoral, with a distinct emphasis on social justice and fairness. It’s about what we do, not just what we believe, think, say and pray. Methodism takes seriously and literally biblical injunctions to stand up for the legal rights and welfare of vulnerable and marginalised people (e.g. orphans, widows, refugees, prisoners, those who are sick, those who are poor). This, I believe, is why so many Methodist churches host food banks and debt-advice centres, and provide other support services to the wider communities they serve. And many a Methodist can be found on a committee or board of trustees advocating hard for the systemic changes needed to address the root causes of poverty and inequality.