Diocese of Chichester

The breadth of the Anglican Church is a foretaste of heaven. The diversity recognises that theology, how we articulate, inquire and know God is a life-long journey. The church invites us to be probing, to listen to difference and to re-imagine constantly how to be a glimpse of God’s glorious presence in every village, town and city.

Interfaith Week is deliberately timed to begin on 10th November, Remembrance Sunday. In a world in which there is so much division, it provides an opportunity to pause and to listen to different voices even when it seems difficult.

I often wonder if Christ is anonymously present in different faiths, as Karl Rahner argues.

The truth is Jesus engaged with people of different faiths with love and compassion. For example, Jesus crossed the boundaries of religion and culture and helped a Roman centurion. He healed a Syro-Phonecian girl. He voluntarily went to a Samaritan village which no Jew during His time did. He entered in conversation with a Samaritan woman with confidence, compassion and love.

We live in the same world where people of different faiths and no faith co-exist. God in Jesus did not just stick with people adhering to His religious culture alone. He loved everyone despite what they believed or believed in. Because Jesus loves all people regardless of their beliefs and practices we need to do the same.

God has blessed us with a world where people of different religious persuasions and no religious inclination co-exist. We need to engage in dialogue because it is in conversation we understand people of different faiths and no faith better. It is a pre-requisite that we need to be aware of the viewpoints of others if we want to engage with them.

Interfaith dialogue needs to be seen as a positive activity. It is one of the ways we can follow Jesus. Positive conversation is based on a healthy respect for different faiths and no faith involved in the process. Sometimes conflicts and acts of violence occur due to no dialogue or swallow dialogues. Religious fundamentalism does not allow proper dialogue to take place. The need for a tolerant, open-minded or positive conversation becomes apparent here. The need to engage with others, as Jesus did, in a true and deeper manner cannot be over-emphasised.

In our multi-religious world, God doesn’t want us to ignore people of different faiths and no faith. We are all inter-connected and form an organic whole. God wants us to share His love and light beyond all boundaries. Interfaith ministry is not an optional extra but at the very core of a life of togetherness in this world.

Interfaith week is an opportunity to take inspiration to cross boundaries of religion and culture.

https://www.interfaithweek.org/