Civic faith in no way replaces or supplants our faith in God. It surely doesn’t for me. But it is essential for our lives together. After all, if we aim to make a difference in the world, people must be at the center of what we do.
Amid debates about Christian nationalism, the role of religion in politics, and other religiously charged issues, there is a path forward. A way for faith leaders of all beliefs and doctrines to productively engage in community life beyond their church walls.
We know we are not where we want to be as a country—or as a people. Our work is not done. But the answer is not to give up or retreat.
When loss occurs, grief inevitably follows. Yet in public life, grief from our collective losses seems to routinely get short-circuited. We seem incapable of allowing it into our lives. But that stymies our shared project of creating communities that thrive, because it causes so many of us to pretend or wish our losses never happened. For others, it means a retreat from public life entirely.
When we do not go together as communities, we remain divided and fragmented. Loneliness becomes inevitable. Challenges mount and begin to look intractable.