Like it or not, we live in a global village. Certainly our current worldwide fiscal and economic crisis has brought this reality right into our living rooms. Unfortunately, we have not grasped this reality socially, politically or spiritually. For the peoples of the world still interact with one another in terms of tribe and turf.
Such behavior begs the old question, for people of faith, "Who is my neighbor?" Perhaps you will understand the situation differently, but I agree with the Roman Catholic theologian, Hans Kung, who has said that there will be no peace in the world until the religions of the world are at peace with one another. And the religions of the world will not be at peace with one another until they sit down and really reason together — learning to understand and to respect one another — learning to cooperate with one another.
The challenge before people of faith is to come to understand that, initially, my neighbor is the person who embraces a different faith tradition. If I am a Christian, my neighbors are those who embrace the Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim faiths. I need to reach out to these people and come to love them as sisters and brothers. I need to reach out to these people and find common ground to bring lasting peace to the world.
The Vatican-Muslim Forum has said, "Genuine love of neighbor implies respect of the person and her or his choices in matters of conscience and religion." Amos Yong, author of the book "Hospitality And The Other" has said, "People of all faiths are aliens and strangers but also neighbors one to another."
How does the person of faith proceed in this monumental task of identifying and loving our neighbor? How does the person of faith proceed in this monumental task of bringing peace to the world by fostering peace among the religions of the world? We move out on two levels — the personal and the communal.
On the personal level, let me share a statement from a clergy colleague of mine. "Often we can look and interact with people based on their role, title or our first impressions, and forget that they are humans. We seem to move forward based on the adjective in front of them. They are agnostic, agitating, liberal, conservative, or obnoxious first before they are a person. I have walked with people whom I have confronted or repelled because of an adjective I assigned to them. As a person of faith, I am challenged to work my way beyond the adjective and see my neighbor as a neighbor — as a person."
On the communal level, let me share the recent experience of the Millbury-Sutton Ecumenical Council. We called together members of our churches to meet on a Sunday afternoon to dialogue with representatives of each of the five major religions of the world around the question, "Who is my neighbor?" It turned out to be a very stimulating, enlightening, humbling and "grace-filled" afternoon. Every person present left this experience with the seed planted within them that Buddhists, Hindus, Jews and Muslims are my neighbor, and that, together, we can bring peace to the world.
I pray that this seed will grow within them, and within you.
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The Rev. Clinton L. Barlow is the interim pastor of the Millbury Baptist Church, and a personal friend of the coordinator of this column.
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