The past few weeks have not been easy for many reasons, and most people agree that making decisions before entering the ballot box was harder than ever. People who attended ‘Craighead Conversations’, a series of public dialogues organised by the Craighead Institute of Life and Faith may, however, have found the process less difficult.
These conversations have asked ‘what’s faith got to do with it?’ and the first series, ‘Crossing Boundaries’ has been held with a range of partners including GRAMNET, the Poverty Truth Commission, the Electoral Reform Society Scotland and the Iona Community. Issues on the agenda have included the experiences of refugees and people in poverty, attitudes to social justice in Scotland, and Glasgow’s health divide.
The sessions have confirmed the importance of providing a forum for people with and without a faith commitment to hear about current public issues and to take part in debates about achieving social justice., and the Institute is committed to a participatory approach, engaging with people who struggle to retain their human dignity in times of austerity.
The Institute’s history is rooted in the needs of lay people, especially those from communities under social and economic pressures, to be inspired and sustained by their faith and to continue to struggle for social justice in the midst of their day-to-day reality. Founded in 1987 by Sister Christine Anderson (FCJ), it has been based in Glasgow, having grown out of the Craighead Retreat House in Bothwell. It continues in the tradition of Ignatian Spirituality.
We are ecumenical in reach and seek to exemplify a ‘Faith that Does Justice’. Our educational programmes aim to be accessible, experiential and transformative.
One participant on our core course, ‘Integrating Life and Faith’, summed up the impact: ‘I think this module, this course, has been about...showing ways to make the Word of God alive and active in our world... I have discovered a new approach to living in faith and working for peace and justice with others.’
It is encouraging to hear similar comments about the Institute’s courses echoed by participants from Easterhouse to Eastern Europe, Glasgow’s schemes to Eldoret in Kenya. Perhaps this enthusiasm stems from our commitment to a participatory approach and to engaging with people who struggle to retain their human dignity in times of austerity.
Although based in Glasgow, our work covers a wide geographical area. In Fife, for example, we are working alongside a peer researcher from Glasgow Homelessness Network to build the capacity of a group of people in long term unemployment to conduct an enquiry into how employment support in their communities can be improved and their potential and wellbeing nurtured.
We have just completed the successful pilot of a new course, ‘Inspiring Unity’, developed with the Ignatian Spirituality Centre Glasgow and funded through the Scottish Government’s Tackling Sectarianism Initiative. Members from a Catholic parish and from a Church of Scotland parish in North Motherwell worked together through seven sessions that led them deeper into sharing their faith and the desire to commit further to shared local activity. One participant said: ‘We are all equal in God’s eyes and good is in everyone, an acceptance and understanding of others’ problems and traditions.’
A film of this work will be available soon on the Faith in Community Scotland website.
The future? Pope Francis has set out the urgent relevance of living out an active faith in the world. The requirement to equip lay people for ministry in their communities, to bridge any gulf between faith and the everyday, to be alongside those who experience poverty and stigma - these are the calls to Christians today. The Craighead Institute is ecumenical in outreach and continues to seek to partner with others, developing and celebrating the contribution of faith communities to work for justice for all people in Scotland.
For more information: email lisa@craighead.org.uk. Follow us on twitter @CraigheadUK web: www.craighead.org.uk New website coming soon!