Introduction
One of the great characteristics in the life of
Jesus which I pick up from the Gospels is that Jesus had many friends
and loved parties. "Of course he loved parties", said a Jewish friend
of mine - "He was a good Jew".
For all the world
It is this Jewishness of Jesus that we need to
hold in our minds and hearts. The message of reconciliation which Jesus
proclaims is for all the nations of the world but somehow Christians
have often transferred him into the European culture and then tried to
hold him prisoner. Jesus is for all the world but we have so hedged him
round by doctrine that we have made him in many ways a symbol of
Western imperialism and unacceptable to people of other faith
traditions.
How can we reach out to other faith traditions
and cultures?
We urgently need to correct this distortion and
ask ourselves how we can reach out to people of other faith traditions
and cultures in these troubled days.
Being a celibate, friendship has played such an
important part in my life. I could not be a balanced and happy human
being without it. It is friendship with a wide variety of people of all
faith traditions and none which makes my life such a rich experience.
Use the contacts already in place
There are many Christians who do want to reach out
in friendship but don’t know how to make the approach. They
may be afraid of giving offence through being unaware of customs and
traditions. I think the first thing is to use the contacts already in
place through work or trade or neighbourhood.
Slow down a little, smile
Ordinary human contact in the course of our daily
lives can yield rich fruit if we will only take the time. We are all in
too much of a hurry. As a simple contribution towards making a better
world, can we slow down a little in order to have time for the ordinary
courtesies of life which have got lost over the past few decades? A
smile makes such a difference to a stressful commuter journey. It is so
wonderfully summed up in Jim Cotter’s version of Psalm 15:
'a glimpse of compassion in times that are
savage’[2]
Notice when festivals such as Divali or Eid occur
We can give more support to our Asian run corner
shops which are growing up over much of the country. If we shop there
regularly, we can develop real friendships and show an interest in
community and family celebrations.
It is a good idea to notice when festivals such
as Divali or Eid occur. Next time you buy a diary look for one which
gives all the major festivals. Then you can have an awareness of what
is happening amongst the different faith communities. Many faith
communities do want to foster a better understanding of their customs
and practice and therefore have some of their celebrations open to
visitors.
A local interfaith group
Your local interfaith group, if there is one,
would know of such opportunities. It is important to contact such
groups in order to coordinate overtures of friendship otherwise one
could find minority communities wearing a hunted look! It is important
to be well briefed about customs and etiquette, otherwise offence can
unwittingly be given.
Local churches or neighbourhood issues
If there is no interfaith group in your area it
may be possible to make contacts through a local church. Some
enlightened clergy talk about their parishes overlapping and have
networks of cooperation on local issues. If that is not so in your area
and you want to make contacts, get involved in local neighbourhood
issues and make sure that minority groups get a voice in local debates.
If we take an interest in any local ethnic
minority groups we will become alert to their particular needs. At
present Muslim communities are feeling under threat so a simple message
of support from a local church can be an enormous help. From that
gesture may come opportunities of meeting. We are all human and have
the same concerns over such issues as the safety of our streets and the
the welfare of our children and it may be that some cooperation can
occur in these areas.
Build networks of friendship and support
Ideally, networks of friendship and support need
to be built up before a major crisis occurs. It may be that minority
groups have no place of their own in which to meet. Here Christian
churches can rent their church halls to such groups. This is already
happening in many places. This has been happening at a church in Epsom
for several years and so it was a natural venue for over one hundred
Christians and Muslims to meet to pray for peace during the war in
Afghanistan.
Schools and toddler groups
Schools are another important place of contact.
Most schools have some children from ethnic minority groups. Parents
can have opportunities for friendship at school events. Don’t
try too hard, relax and enjoy each other’s children. Mother
and toddler groups provide another opportunity. Friendship naturally
arises out of interest in each others' children.
At work
Many of us work alongside people from other faith
traditions. With so much pressure in the workplace it is hard to find
time for friendship but opportunities for support are there if we show
ourselves interested in other people’s culture and religious
practice. We may be able to support them in applications for special
leave that will allow them to celebrate their festivals or just simply
arrange respective duties to allow this. All Christians need to be
aware of how difficult it can be for minority groups to get the leave
they want. They are forced to take leave over the Christian festivals
and then have difficulty getting leave for their own festivals.
A multicultural, multifaith world
We all live in a multicultural, multifaith world.
There can be very few places where there is no ethnic mix. If that is
not so for you then you are very deprived indeed. Multiculturalism is
gift not threat. Our lives will be so much richer for the sharing. We
need an attitude of mind where the mix is encouraged and the stranger
is welcomed.
This is a great challenge for us in Britain where
desperate people are seeking asylum. Can we make such people feel
welcome and take the trouble to discover their particular customs and
needs? Do let’s try to get rid of the attitude of them and
us. We are all human in a very insecure world and those of us who are
blessed with this world’s goods could feel a lot safer if we
were prepared to share.
Concentrate on being human together
We are bidden to love our neighbours and these
days our neighbours are often very different from us and this can be
threatening for some people. There is only one race - the human race
and we need to concentrate on being human together. A good topic for
debate, if we get the opportunity is, 'what does it mean to be human?'
It is as human beings we need to meet in order to build up respect and
trust.
Friendships cannot flourish if there are hidden
agendas. If we only take an interest in our neighbours in order to try
to convert and make them 'like us' we will only build mistrust and
suspicion. We have to take care how we build.(1 Corinthians 3 vv. 10 -
15). If we are to build on the foundation of Jesus Christ we have to
have a profound respect for our neighbour and his/her unique identity
and being and do all in our power to enable that person to find their
true nature.
We have to learn to see something more of the
Triune God we worship in our neighbours of other faith traditions.
Footnotes
- 'Friends on the Way: A life enriched by
engagement with people of many faiths' by Maureen Henderson. ISBN
0-7162-0529-7. Epworth.
- Jim Cotter 'Through Desert Places, A Version
of the Psalms 1-50', Cairn Publications
