Parliament of World Religions
Muslim - Christian Relations
By Tom Michel SJ FABC
VATICAN Parliament Of World's Religions In Spain
'Beautiful But Confusing'
UCAN Column "Muslim - Christian Relations" by Jesuit Father Tom Michel
VATICAN CITY (UCAN) -- I recently took part in the Parliament of the World's Religions, which was held July 7-13 in Barcelona, Spain.
The huge event drew as many as 90,000 participants and had as its general theme "Pathways to Peace: the Wisdom of Listening, the Power of Commitment."
More than 400 symposia, panel discussions, lectures, worship services, visits to churches, mosques and temples, and performances of sacred dance and song all created a bewildering variety of religious themes and approaches to modern spirituality. The atmosphere was more like a "religious fairground" than a scholarly seminar. One young woman summed it up well: "It's beautiful, but confusing."
The Sikhs won an enormous amount of good will and interest by offering free luncheon to all participants. Continuing a tradition followed in gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) since the religion began, more than 300 Sikhs resident in the United Kingdom every day offered a simple but nourishing vegetarian meal of rice, dal, puri, and curried potatoes to all comers. At the height of the parliament, they were serving an estimated 10,000 people a day.
There were four official study themes -- refugees, clean water, religiously-inspired violence, international debt -- but every forum was open to all who had something to communicate.
Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus were particularly active in undertaking sessions on many aspects of their faith and approach to modern problems. However, the traditional "great" religions had to share the stage with a vast array of New Age movements, non-institutional spiritualities, neo-pagan rituals and meditation techniques.
Many Christians took part, which is not surprising since the parliament was held in predominantly Christian Spain. But by contrast to Buddhists and Muslims, for example, there were few programs to explain Christian faith and how Christians approach key issues of modern life, such as war and peace, human rights, spirituality in the secular world, and social justice.
Given the large number of Christians in the world, one would have expected much more. The relatively few lectures and panel discussions that discussed elements of Christian faith were generally much appreciated by those attending. I had occasion to take part in a panel presentation, together with a Jewish rabbi, a Muslim professor and a Hindu scholar, on "The Contribution of Pope John Paul II to Interreligious Dialogue."
A big part of the reason the Christian churches remained largely aloof from the proceedings is that we too often have a narrow understanding of evangelization and draw too great a distinction between evangelization and interreligious dialogue.
Before the parliament, I asked several theologians and Vatican officials if they would take part in the event. Their reactions were dismissive, even tinged with disdain. One called it a "jamboree," another objected to it as "a supermarket of religions." A third said, "I'm not interested in dialogue; we should be concentrating on proclamation."
Some reactions were even more negative. "We shouldn't take part in events where Christianity is just one religion among others."
Obviously, the Buddhists and Muslims did not see it that way. They were happy to present their faith in an attractive light, to explain how they believe their faith responds to the needs of people today, and to share the beauties and riches of their spiritual traditions.
More than 1,000 people attended a deeply moving performance of the Mevlevi Sufis, the "whirling dervishes," following a clear and simple explanation of its meaning for Muslims. On sidewalks and hallways, one could find Buddhist monks teaching meditation practices to circles of mostly European youths.
The Buddhists and Muslims made no compromise with doctrine, but offered what they believe to be a spiritual path of great value for modern people.
Or take the case of the Sikhs. It was not simply a question of a free lunch. The sight of dignified Sikh gentlemen serving meals to men, women and young people, of Sikh women spending whole days cooking huge amounts of food in a tent they erected along the Mediterranean seashore, of Sikh youths welcoming all visitors with warm and genuine smiles, all of that taught people of all religions something important about the nature of gratuitous service.
Loving service of others enhances the dignity of those who serve and also shows respect for those served.
Many who came for lunch then paid visits to the adjoining gurdwara, where the Granth, the Sikh scripture, was recited and set to lively Punjabi hymns. The participants were no doubt curious to know more about a religion whose followers were ready to expend so much time and effort to serve others, and do so with such joy and warmth.
I'm sure those participants returned home from the parliament with a very different understanding of the Sikh religion from what they knew before.
I found myself thinking: Couldn't we Christians have found suitable ways to express what is best and deepest in our own faith? Couldn't we have entered more wholeheartedly into this gathering to celebrate our common humanity and our commitment to religious values?
To be sure, there were Christians present, those who have taken seriously the calls of the Second Vatican Council to engage in interreligious dialogue. But the "mission and evangelization" proponents, who dismiss dialogue as a kind of compromise or spiritual luxury, stayed home. They had nothing to say and no message to give, because they weren't there.
We have a long way to go before we integrate into our communitarian behavior the insights of Vatican II.
In the decree on "The Church in the Modern World," the bishops say:
"Our thoughts also go out to all who acknowledge God and who preserve religious and human elements in their traditions. It is our hope that honest dialogue will spur us all on to receive the impulses of the Spirit with fidelity and act upon them with alacrity. For our part, our eagerness for such dialogue, conducted with appropriate discretion and leading to truth by the way of love alone, excludes nobody. We would like to include those who respect outstanding human values without realizing who the Author of those values is, as well as those who oppose the Church and persecute it in various ways" (Gaudium et Spes, 92).
I am left with two ironies: 1) We evangelize best when we don't consciously try to do so; and 2) It is those who are committed to interreligious dialogue who are actually today's most effective presenters of the Christian faith.
Jesuit Father Tom Michel is Ecumenical Secretary of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences and Secretary of the Jesuits for Interreligious Dialogue.
ZY6478.1298 July 19, 2004