2026 #31 - Walking By Faith: Lovingly Jealous - Rev. Adrian Sukumar-White

many of you have taken part in interfaith dialogue before but I've always seen it as a pretty tricky concept.

In the context of pluralism of course we want to be able to engage with people of different faiths but the practicalities of it mean that often interfaith dialogue is limited to one of two extremes.

The first is thinking that the purpose of interfaith dialogue is to convince the other that we are right and that they are wrong.

which is a position that totally negates the concept of dialogue.

Or there is the other extreme where the dialogue stays so superficial out of a fear that we might possibly challenge or possibly offend one another.

John Hurt, past minister here at Luck and a mentor of mine once suggested to me something that has really stuck and that is the purpose of interfaith dialogue is to make the other lovingly jealous.

that we can share what gives us life and hope within our tradition, that it might spark a reaction like, oh, I like the sound of that.

Now, of course, if it's truly dialogue, then we also should be prepared to become lovingly jealous of the other too.

And I tell you this because this is the first thing that came to mind as I read this passage from Romans, as Paul talks about making his own people jealous.

Now, considering jealousy in the context of Scripture is certainly a mixed bag, but definitely leans towards the more problematic nature of jealousy.

We only have to look to one of the earlier stories in Genesis 4 where Cain murders his brother out of jealousy.

Proverbs 14 has this gem which I feel would make a really good Bible verse embroidery cushion.

A tranquil mind gives life to the flesh, but jealousy makes the bones rot.

James chapter 3 says, for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

Paul himself often talks about jealousy as sinful, with Galatians 5 putting it alongside debauchery, idolatry, sorcery and drunkenness.

So you could be forgiven with coming to this passage and thinking that jealousy is indeed a problem.

However, I would argue that in this context, Paul is using it into a similar way that my mentor did.

as a means of inviting the other to join in.