Reflection Lent 2
No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
Genesis 17:5-7
I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. That is a lot of responsibility, Abraham. I do wonder how Abraham would feel about this multitude of nations today. Despite this everlasting covenant with God, despite God’s commitment that it would be everlasting, we seem to be doing our best to test God on this particular agreement.
It isn’t just Gaza, though that is a convenient scapegoat for some of our worst thoughts and fears. Consider how much you know about Judaism. Or Islam? How many friends and colleagues do you have of different faiths - and that you have in depth conversations about faith?
We are told from the beginning that we are family. All connected through Father Abraham. But we often act more like estranged cousins than children of the same God. Real dialogue can be hard, and often we prefer superficial connection than actual conversation. So I want to offer a few ways to encourage real dialogue in the midst of conflict and difference. These come from Catherine Cornille, a theologian at Boston College and is a helpful model to follow.
Before we see any dialogue across difference we must first demonstrate:
Humility - We may have strongly held beliefs, thoughts and feelings - but we also acknowledge that neither our tradition nor our faith has all the answers, and that we may have something to learn from others.
Commitment - We do believe something. And we understand that belief enough to dialogue with someone else.
Interconnectedness - we commit to seeing the commonalities in our traditions, like, for example, Abraham!
Empathy - We seek to listen with our whole heart, and mind and soul to the other, putting ourselves in their shoes and seeking to see the conflict from their perspective.
Hospitality - and finally, that we offer welcome, sustenance, and shelter to all those who seek to dialogue with. Sharing a bit of ourselves as we share what we believe lightens the tension and proves we are invested in the relationship and not just winning an argument.
I hope these guidelines can help you in your own journeys towards healing, reconciliation and renewal, however you may understand them.