Interfaith pilgrimage, dialogue key to a peaceful society

Pope Francis brought out this double message of a pilgrimage and dialogue very prophetically and exemplary, when he invited a rabbi and sheikh to a joint pilgrimage from Rome to Jerusalem, in May 2014.

The trio were, in effect, inviting Monotheists (Jews, Muslims, and Christians) to a joint pilgrimage of prayer to the same God, after the example of their ancestor, Abraham. God called Abraham to make a pilgrimage from Ur to Canaan.

A pilgrimage has a characteristic of spiritual formation. It is a common journey of peace towards God and towards each other. It responds to the fervent desire of all who long for peace and dream of a world in which men and women can live as brothers and sisters, rather than as competitors and enemies. A pilgrimage challenges us to build bridges instead of subduing differences and conflict.

The dynamics of a pilgrimage involve bonding and dialogue. Dialogue is a conversation where people seek to enter into a relationship with others in spite of their differences.

People from different backgrounds begin to realise their commonalities and gradually pay less attention to their differences. Dialogue is one of the remedies to conflicts and wars that destroy our society.

“Without dialogue, the barriers of prejudice, suspicion and misunderstanding cannot be effectively removed”, says Frederick Streng, scholar of religion.

Genuine dialogue must be based on openness, mutual respect and acceptance, understanding, trust, determination, patience, courage, prayer, etc. John’s gospel 4:5-42, provides an excellent model of interfaith dialogue, that took place between Jesus and the Samaritan woman.

Jews had no dealings with Samaritans because the latter had historically been in alliance with the Assyrians and Persians and intermarried with them. The Jewish law considered them unclean and outcasts. Jesus’ move was, hence, a risky one.

Using the woman’s own feelings and psychological thoughts, Jesus captures her attention to win her over. With great respect and love, Jesus helps the woman to know that he is not just a Jew, but the Messiah.

This approach leads the woman into openness to the dialogue. An encounter, which began on a superficial level, ends up on a profound spiritual level; a joint pilgrimage beyond Jacob’s well to the well of the word of God.

The Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue of the Catholic Church proposes a dialogue of life, of action and of theology. The dialogue of life is at work when people make an effort to live in a spirit of openness and neighbourliness, sharing their joys and sufferings, their human struggles and predicaments.

In the dialogue of action, people work together to ensure that their community genuinely and concretely experiences integral development, liberation and a just society. Joint projects/actions, such as setting up schools, clinics, water projects, etc., can help to bring people together and also to uplift their human condition; for a just society.

Dialogue of theology is carried out when theologians and experts from different religious groups make a common study/reflection on given issues.

This helps them to appreciate each other’s ways of searching for God and to resist Satan, the common enemy.

Indeed if people come together as friends and acknowledge their roots in God and their oneness in humanity, all other things become easy.

Monotheists must contribute to the ongoing construction of the global village, through interfaith dialogue, which also makes our common pilgrimage to God, and to the promised land, much easier.

Msgr. John Wynand Katende,    [email protected]