28 March. Ecumenism. SEE. Jan and Annabi normally kept in the background and seldom shared their thoughts.  As the groups were now approaching Holy Week Jan decided to share something that was deep in his heart.  “The way I was brought up in the Dutch Reformed Church in my childhood years gave me a different spiritual insight into some of the Bible passages.  In particular the passages from some of the prophets about Israel being God’s people had significance for us. Israel was a small nation often threatened by other big powers and at times overrun, almost destroyed, and taken into captivity.  The role of the prophets was to keep them true to their God and challenge them when they sinned and followed other gods. We, as the Afrikaner nation, saw ourselves too like a chosen people, like the Israelites. I have discovered that where we sinned was in oppressing others, certainly not recognizing them as having equal dignity on a truly human level.  Now, in very recent times, the attitude of Pope Francis is very much that everyone belongs together, we should all be one people, even if we worship God in different forms. ‘Fratelli Tutti. Brothers all.” It has been a very long learning journey for me.”

JUDGE, reflect and share. Scripture: I will make a covenant of peace with them it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will bless them and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.  They shall be my people and I shall be their God.  Eze 37: 21-28    Pope Francis: In his simple and direct way, St Francis expressed the essence of a fraternal openness that allows us to acknowledge, appreciate and love each person, regardless of physical proximity, regardless of where he or she was born or lives. Francis felt himself a brother to the sun, the sea and the wind, yet he knew that he was even closer to those of his own flesh.  Wherever he went, he sowed seeds of peace and walked alongside the poor, the abandoned, the infirm and the outcast, the least of his brothers and sisters. FT 1-2.  A journey of peace is possible between religions.  Its point of departure must be God’s way of seeing things. It follows that we believers need to find occasions to speak with one another and to act together for the common good and the promotion of the poor. FT 281-2.   In his ongoing contact with the Grand Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb Pope Francis follows the famous example of St Francis who made the dangerous journey to Damietta in Egypt to meet with Sultan Malik-el-Kamil in the 13th century.

Pope Leo:  An essential service that religions must render to a suffering humanity is to guard against the growing temptation to weaponize even thoughts and words.   The great spiritual traditions, as well as right reason, teach us to look beyond blood ties or ethnicity, beyond associations that accept only those who are similar and reject those who are different. Believers must actively refute above all by the witness of their lives, these forms of blasphemy that profane the holy name of God. Therefore alongside action it is more necessary than ever to cultivate prayer, spirituality and ecumenical and interreligious dialogue as paths of peace and as languages of encounter within traditions and cultures. PM 

REFLECT, SHARE, ACT, PRAY. how are we able to reflect and share about beliefs of fellow Christians and how can we relate to those of other religions like Muslims, Hindus and others?  Interreligious dialogue about common and shared values leads to a greater sense of human fraternity and acceptance? What can our particular religious family do?