Reflections: Need for counter-images of peace

Sydney
20 January 2002

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Reflections: Need for counter-images of peace

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Reflections: Need for counter-images of peace

By Trish Madigan op

Recently I met the mother of two young children who had been visiting friends during the events of September 11 and, without her knowledge, had watched hours of TV footage of the drama. She is concerned about how such intense exposure to the violent images of reality TV will continue to shape her children’s understanding of the world as a place subject to fearful and unpredictable acts of violence.

She is aware of her children’s need for equally riveting counter-images and for deeply lived experiences of hope and reconciliation.

One outcome of September 11, apart from a widespread but brief upturn in church attendance, has been what seems like an exponential growth in interest in interfaith dialogue and relationships.

There has been more interest than ever before – on the part of both Christians and Muslims – in finding out more about what others believe and in building relationships of trust and understanding.

NSW Muslim leaders say that phone calls and messages of support for their communities far outweigh hostile calls, as worrying as the latter might be. Many churches and mosques, especially where vandalism had taken place, have been involved in mutual visits and other gestures of good will. And local parishes and religious communities have been active in organising educational forums and activities aimed at widening the social contact between Christians and Muslims.

All this activity has given concrete form to a desire John Paul II expressed in a speech prepared for the World Day for Migrants and Refugees that the parish community might become a training ground of hospitality, a place where an exchange of experiences and gifts can take place – especially in metropolitan areas, where there are large numbers of immigrants of different cultures and religions; his hope is that they might become “laboratories of respectful living together and constructive dialogue”.

Pope John Paul II has also made his surprise call for a second interreligious day of prayer for peace at Assisi on January 24.

The first such day – in 1986 – raised a few eyebrows. But the Pope was undaunted: “The Holy See wishes to contribute to a world movement of prayer for peace that going beyond borders and nations and reaching believers of all religions, will embrace the whole world”, he said. In order to safeguard the integrity of each religious group and to avoid charges of syncretism he noted clearly that religious leaders come “not to pray together but to be together to pray”. Each will pray in Assisi in a way that maintains fidelity to its own identity and beliefs.

A Muslim theologian and biblical scholar, Shahrzad Zadeh, said on Vatican Radio that she believed the “spirit of Assisi” was even more necessary today. “Jesus says to Christians: ‘Love one another as I have loved you’ but this is valid for all the peoples of the world. As it says also in the Holy Qur’an (Koran): ‘In truth, all believers are brothers and sisters. Therefore take peace among them’.”

These counter-images of peace and reconciliation are important for all of us.

Sr Trish Madigan is Liaison Officer for the Archdiocesan Commission of Ecumenism and fosters dialogue with people of different religious faiths.