Why I went to the Italian Senate to have a conversation about religious pluralism

On 27 November, the Isma Hall of the Italian Senate hosted a conference on the topic “The Role of Religious and Ethnic Communities in Building Europe’s Identity and Solving Its Crises”.

It featured panels on the religious, political, legal, and media aspects of religious pluralism in Europe.

I had the honor participating in the religious panel as a spokesperson for the evangelical Christian faith, alongside Muslim, Jewish, Anglican, and secular leaders. The atmosphere was cordial, and many speakers stressed the need for mutual respect and listening.

“As a Christian, my love for God and neighbor comes from the fact that at the heart of my faith is a man who laid down his life for his enemies. My faith in Jesus does not just motivate me to merely tolerate others. It motivates me to serve others and love them in concrete ways”, I explained.

Christians need to be at the forefront of public debates in Europe. We can’t assume a dominant position like in vanquished days of Christendom, but we can’t be outsiders to public conversations either.

In fact, we’re called to model humility and civility in our interactions with people of other faiths and deep interest in the issues of public concern.

On a personal note, I was struck by how those humble conversations with students across faith barriers had led to the formal interactions of this week. We never know what the Lord will do with the seeds of the gospel we sow, do we?

René Breuel, evangelical pastor in Rome.