The Churches could do much more to promote community engagement

This change would make it much easier to navigate some of the difficult issues which divide church opinion. Looked at from a relationships perspective, an issue like gay marriage looks decidedly different. Churches should support and promote long-term relationships built on mutual love, trust and caring. Once that bridge is crossed, the mechanism by which that relationship is formally recognised becomes a secondary debate. The genuine needs of gay couples can be provided for without changing the status of marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman. The crucial issue is acknowledging long-term gay relationships as a good thing, worthy of formal support and recognition, not whether the churches should treat them as identical to traditional marriages.

Much contemporary church work does focus indirectly on building better relationships. Instead of being an incidental by-product, this should be at the heart of the churches’ mission.

There is a war on loneliness to be fought. Communities are seeking alternatives to naked selfish individualism. For too long the churches have largely been on the sidelines, uncertain of their role in a rapidly changing world. A renewed focus on better human relationships would enable a genuine revival in the role of the churches. A religious contribution to our non-material well-being is as vital as ever.

One contribution to Church and Civil Society points out that “communal attachment is at the heart of peoples’ well-being” and sets out a primary goal of “an inclusive society in which all have the opportunity to participate”. Churches which heed these words will remain at the centre of community life and make a huge contribution to building a better society.