Interview with Hymn-Writer John Bell

JOHN: My understanding of the Christian faith is that it isn't supposed to be lived in isolation. It's always in community. 
But I don't see in the Bible where God is calling like-minded people to be part of this new community. No, for the priorities and the signs of the Kingdom of God truly to be manifest, God calls the unlikely -- and the unliked. That's the kind of community God envisions.  Jesus' disciples were not people of money or influence or any proven intellectual acumen. Sometimes Jesus consorts with people who are of great wealth and wisdom, but he also interacts with people who are poor and who are persecuted. All of these people are called together. For the church to be the essential, important community God is calling, then the church must be a place that calls people with a variety of opinions and many backgrounds. 
The call to love one another we read in scriptures? That's a cautionary call because, if we're truly a community of all kinds of people, then our own pet passions can take control of us and we find ourselves in conflict. We need someone to remind us to love one another. 
   

DAVID: But where do we even start toward such a radical vision? It's scary. Talk to strangers? Call the unlikely -- and the unliked? 

JOHN: You have to realize that your life is not the only significant life in the world. By calling a community together like this, you begin to understand that God, who made us all in God's image, has this amazing ability to create great diversity in humanity. 
One of our supreme joys should be just talking with other folk -- unlikely folk. If we only mix with people of our own sort, then we miss so much about life's great beauty.

CARE TO READ MORE FROM IONA?

VISIT "IONA BOOKS" FOR BELL'S NEW BOOK: Here's the home website of Wild Goose Publications, sometimes better known as Iona Books. This link takes you to the page featuring Bell's new book, including PDF-format excerpts you can download.

GIA PUBLICATIONS' AMERICAN PAGE: John Bell works closely with GIA Publications in the U.S. Eventually GIA will produce his book for American audiences. Also, GIA helps with American connections to John's work. Here's his "home page" at GIA.

READ THE WORDS TO A SONG FOR CITIES: We've also published a short sample text, emailed to us by John Bell's hymn-writing colleague Graham Maule. Here's a link to that song for cities, giving you a good example of the way Iona writers approach these themes.

WILD GOOSE RESOURCE GROUP: This is a semi-autonomous project within the Iona Community, set up to house joint work in worship and music resources headed by Graham Maule and John Bell. This page contains various links that focus on their work. 
 

THE RESOURCE GROUP ON FACEBOOK: Another way to connect with the ongoing efforts of the Maule-Bell group is via this Facebook group. The Facebook page also offers helpful links to members and non-members.

This article was originally posted at http://www.ReadTheSpirit.com/.

David Crummis an author, journalist, and filmmaker with more than 20 years as a Religion Writer for the Detroit Free Press, Knight-Ridder newspapers, and Gannett. Crumm is now the Editor of ReadTheSpirit (www.readthespirit.com) -- a new online home for important voices in religion and spirituality.