Serving Together for the Common Good

CHURCHES ARE, and have been throughout their existence, part of the societies within which they are located. In cities, towns, and villages, church communities have been places of witness to the Good News of Jesus, following His great commandments to love God and love neighbour (Mark 12:28-33).

Throughout history, the church became a servant of the wider public good, advocating for education, freedom, and sometimes engaging the power of state to serve gospel ends. But the Church’s witness also became compromised, often sitting too close to power to speak truth freely.

However, some never forgot the call to be salt and light in the world, never forgot that we are part of the whole of creation, never forgot that there is much we can do to serve in positive life-affirming ways. We have amazing examples in our own history as Atlantic Baptists. The establishment of Acadia University was an act of faith by our forebearers who desired to serve the common good by providing education for those who might otherwise be excluded by a prejudicial system. Churches of the African United Baptist Association of Nova Scotia offered adult education to encourage the development of skills and social mobility of Atlantic Canadians who were historically underrepresented. Our churches have hosted foodbanks, offered shelter to the unhoused, and comforted the lonely.

In this edition of ADC Today, we invite you to consider the ways that your church community has served the common good. What are the ways we are being summoned beyond our church doors by the Spirit of Christ to care for people and communities today? How can we cooperate with what the Spirit is doing in the world, while being faithful to our distinctives as Christians? What good things can we affirm? How can we more thoroughly fulfil Christ’s command because we work together with others?

As part of our East Coast Theology initiative, I spoke recently with Dr. Robert Strang, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Nova Scotia about the pandemic response, and ways that the church can serve the common good by supporting people’s physical and mental health. We look forward to our Simpson Lectures in June, when Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove will invite us to reclaim the Christian faith for the common good today. We also offer an example of a church who has considered those outside their worshipping community when devising new buildings or launching new ministries.

At a time when faith often appears pushed to the margins, our time to thrive is here. We have networks, cross-denominational friendships, and community ties that make service to the common good a flourishing mission for our churches today. Confident faith turns outward with outstretched arms, ready to serve everyone because of Christ’s love. This is what He commanded us to do. The flourishing that can come to all through our faithful discipleship is worth the risk to imagine new ways to shine like stars in the world.

DR. ANNA ROBBINS, ’93, ’97, is the President, the Dr. Millard R. Cherry Professor of Theology, Ethics and Culture, and the Director of the Andrew D.MacRae Centre for Christian Faith and Culture of Acadia Divinity College, as well as the Dean of Theology for Acadia University.