In this issue
Resources
- Tanzanian Mennonites invite the world to Arusha
- Guided by the Spirit
- A time for collective discernment
- A circle of partnership
The Officers’ Column
General Secretary
Walking with Jesus in costly solidarity
Solidarity. The word was chosen as MWC’s theme word a few years ago. We had no idea how appropriate it would feel in 2026.
For some, the word is a warm embrace. Some fear the word. Maybe it is associated with resolutely secular – even avowedly anti-Christian – movements. Maybe the word conveys disappointment. It’s a reminder of the times words failed to match actions. Of declarations of support that never bore the fruit of partnership. Of repentance professed but actions never transformed.
Solidarity is costly. It requires our egos to take a back seat. We’re not the saviour, as Mikhael Ardiyanto reminds us. Solidarity requires that we resist romanticizing someone else’s suffering. We have to truly listen. We have to come alongside in ways that are caring, not merely convenient.
At its best, our solidarity as Anabaptists is deeply rooted in following Jesus and characterized by a quality of mercy, as Jenny Neme says. We emulate Jesus as we live out solidarity that comes from deep compassion of an empathetic soul seeking transformation, not merely a compatriot in a particular struggle.
It seems that our Anabaptist community is primed for solidarity: we follow Jesus, who modelled humility. We are centred in community, understanding that God is manifest when we work with others. And we understand that reconciliation is the heart of the work God has called us to.
Our worship informs our work. Returning to our source, Jesus, sustains our joy and hope in the relentless work of advocacy for a more just world.
This issue of Courier has a different shape. Instead of five Perspectives from each region, we bring you extended conversations. Formed by their different experiences and backgrounds, our contributors exchange skills and stories across barriers of difference. After all, solidarity is not solitary.
As you read this issue, where does your heart burn within you? What sparks your “yes” to walk alongside others in humility and mutuality? Is your own spirit ready to follow in the humble example of Jesus toward costly solidarity?
Karla Braun is editor of Courier and writer for Mennonite World Conference. She lives in
Winnipeg, Canada.