Changing the world around us - Front Burner - communities of interreligious gatherings and dialogue

One of Pope John Paul II's favourite themes in promoting positive interreligious relations is the common origin and destiny of all humankind. He refers to it as a "mystery of unity" that unites all human beings whatever the differences in their circumstances might be: "The differences are a less important element than the unity which, by contrast, is radical, basic and decisive" (encyclical Redemptor Hominis, par 3). Some recent events have given me opportunity to appropriate these words.

In the week prior to Holy Week, I participated in two days of Catholic-Muslim dialogue. A major theme of the meeting was Violence in the Christian Bible and in the Qur'an. It provided us with the opportunity to address the questions that were on everyone's mind, such as war, terrorism, and their impact on our lives.

Our exchanges put a human face on the stories we read in the daily newspaper. Our Muslim partners, for example, talked about the impact in their community of the action by the U.S. Government to close down four of six national charitable associations because of alleged ties with Al Queda groups in other countries. Charitable giving is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims, like anyone, prefer to give to the charities with which they have some familiarity. When we read about such closings in our newspapers, we do not allude to how it creates problems for Muslims in general as they seer to fulfill their obligations of religious observance.

They also shared personal stories of racial profiling, of their children being pulled off airplanes, of their concern at the potential militancy of their young people as they experience themselves being targeted by security officials, of their alarm at the ongoing secret detention of members of their communities while they are investigated. "If it can happen to people who are our neighbours, it can happen to any of us," they said, arguing that if the government believes someone has committed a crime, it should indict him so he can have an open and public hearing.

A week later, on Wednesday of Holy Week, I was at a table with 12 Jews for their family Passover Seder. The grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, spoke at considerable length, recounting a tale of Christian complicity in the accusations made against Jews during World War II. I had the distinct feeling that it was not the first time he had recounted this story. And yet our being together around the table was itself a sign of hope for better things to come, a small indicator that the evolving relationship between Jews and Christians today is more positive than it has been in 2000 years.

In a few days time I will be in yet another interreligious gathering, this time in a Buddhist Temple. They have chosen to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the temple by hosting a symposium titled, "Overcoming Global Hatred: Nurturing Respect and Understanding Among Different Faiths."

When the convenor, Dr. Chung Lee, co-president of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, called to invite me to speak to this theme from a Christian perspective, she explained that "the reason we are holding this symposium is our sense of frustration and concern regarding the tone of hostility, disrespect and often outright hatred that has been seen in recent months with respect to the situation in Iraq and the Middle East. In the face of such animosity and denunciations, it is easy to feel hopeless and powerless."

But, Dr. Lee asserted, the world is also the little space under our feet and within our reach. While we may be unable to directly influence geopolitical events or actions, she said, we can do our part to reach out within our own communities to those of different religions in a spirit of respect and friendship. "We cannot change the entire world but we can change the local world around us-through each conversation, each interaction, and each relationship we have."

Thomas Ryan, CSP, directs the Paulist North American Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations in New York City.

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