On the way to India, Francis Xavier made a mighty effort to open conversation with some Muslim religious in Mozambique. They were greatly honoured to have an interaction with this impressive Westerner, but would not allow themselves to be over-influenced.
In Goa, he interacted with several Brahmin groups. He would enquire about their central teaching. From his own side, once in a gathering of 200 Brahmins, he explained the core Christian teaching, emphasizing the Ten Commandments. The crowd was deeply impressed. They readily admitted that Francis’ God was the true God because His commandments were closely in conformity with sound reason.
After all, God’s laws are written in human hearts. One Brahmin asked to be made a ‘secret’ Christian. Francis refused. However, another accepted the Christian faith. In Japan, Francis was more successful in his conversation with religious leaders. Many became Christians and led others to Christianity. Conversion is not the goal of dialogue, nor does it exclude it.
When Vatican II opened the doors to formal discussion of our theological experts with religious leaders or intellectuals of other religious, there was extraordinary enthusiasm for it in Asia. Missionary questions about human salvation that had no ready answers in a multi-religious context began to win attention. Missionary groups that were meeting with stiff resistance to their evangelization efforts found an outlet to give expression to their evangelical enthusiasm.
Themes related to this type of dialogue filled many theological journals, especially as it broadened out to cover shared religious experiences and initiation into practices like concentration, meditation, yoga, zen, or other eastern practices. Literature on such matters flooded the market. The Western youth, growing diffident about their faith, moved eastwards to discover the hidden secrets of oriental spirituality.
In the process, the so-called “dialogue of life” is about shared approach to neighbourhood problems, needs, opportunities came to be under-estimated.
DIALOGUE OF LIFE
The reality is that the dialogue of life about handling together the joys and sorrows, problems and anxieties of each other remains. The compulsion to address these concerns together with people of other religious convictions, ideologies, loyalties, ethnicities, careers, party affiliations, interests pins us down to contextual search for solutions. Liberation of the oppressed and a call for human rights can become priorities.
Meantime, with its novelty diminished, theological exchange has become less of a pressing concern. But its value remains in view of the evaluation of our approaches and strategies for the future.
There was a document prepared by Cardinal Arinze in 1991 with Cardinal Tomko to clarify the relationship between “Dialogue and Proclamation” which insists that “dialogue is not a threat to proclamation” but intimately linked with it. It sturdily asserts that “the Church’s commitment to dialogue remains firm and irreversible.”
Despite the day-to-day dialogue of life, a deeper understanding of each other’s religious heritage calls for the assistance of prepared scholars. They help their community to grow in their appreciation of spiritual values prevalent in other traditions. Interchange of religious experiences in the areas of prayer and mysticism continues to remain an ongoing education. Nostra Aetate refers to “Moral good found among non-Christians,” especially amidst their social and cultural values.
The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences recorded a statement of Bishop Mansap of Thailand who felt he was “evangelised” by his Buddhist neighbours. He was deeply enlightened by their commitment to justice, development, openness, and simplicity of life.
The Gospel has something to offer to heal, ennoble, and binds what is good in different traditions. Christians too are beneficiaries in interacting with other religious communities, both to learn something new from them and to be reminded of a Christian teaching that they had long forgotten.
GOD HAS NO FAVORITES
Kindly recall how Abraham sought a blessing from Melchizedek, a gentile (Hebrew, 7:1-17). Take note, it was during their exile in Babylon, when the Israelites were able to mix with people of other religious traditions, that they gained a broader vision of God’s plan for them…to be a light for all nations (Isaiah, 2:3: 52:10). Wisdom literature in the Bible makes it very clear that God is active among all nations and individuals.
Jesus considered a centurion’s faith superior to that of his fellow Jewish believers (Matthew, 8:5-13). He healed a Syro-Phoenician woman because of her humble faith (Mark, 7:24-30). During his conversation with the Samaritan woman he referred to the future when people would “worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John, 4:23). Are many in Asia worshipping an ‘unknown God’ already like how the Athenians were doing? (Acts, 17:22-34).
The Biblical teaching is very clear, “God has no favourites,” says Peter (Acts, 10:34-35; see also Galatians, 2:6, Romans, 2:11). It is the wise men from the East that stirred the Jewish scholars to search the Scriptures about the birth of the Messiah (Matthew, 2:6). May the wisdom of diverse communities lead them ultimately to Jesus.
