'Extremism of Dialogue'

SCRIPTURE REFLECTION FOR THE SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (May 10, 2015)

Scripture Readings:
Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Psalm 98
1 John 4:7-10
John 15:9-17

It can be really disheartening to watch the news these days: ISIS, the massacre in Kenya, the migration crisis in Europe, Xenophobia in South-Africa and violence in our own streets. Facing these outbursts of violence, we can either get frustrated and depressed or choose to ignore them and just go on with life as if nothing has happened. How can we make a difference anyway?

At the same time the United Nations has convened a high level thematic debate on tolerance and reconciliation, inviting also several religious leaders on April 21-22. The second day of the meeting was centered on interfaith dialogue, “featuring high-level statements and interactive panel discussions with faith leaders on community engagement aimed at countering violent extremism. [It also focused] on the role of faith leaders in promoting tolerance for diversity, freedom of expression and human rights.” 1

Maria Voce, president of the Focolare Movement, was one of the religious leaders invited to address the assembly. On the eve of her intervention to the UN she said in an interview: "We can work for peace if we do it all together, both the rich and the poor, those who have power and those who do not, people who are religious as well as those who do not identify themselves with any religion. We have to commit ourselves to building these relationships of peace in the whole human family where we are all equal and therefore we should all witness to this equality."

Our Scripture readings for this Sunday speak exactly about this equality among human beings. “God shows no partiality,” says our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. “Rather in every nation, whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.” The equality of all human beings is rooted in God’s love for everyone. It is in God’s love that we can recognize our fellow human beings as our brothers and sisters. From that perspective we cannot close our eyes to these tragedies. The people who are being killed are our brothers and sisters – whether they are Muslims or Christians, Black and White, known or unknown to us.

It is our call as Christians to witness to this fundamental love for all human beings. “Let us love one another, because love is of God,” reminds us the first letter of John. And Jesus gives us a “new” commandment: “love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” In Christ we are “friends” with all human beings, whether they are close or far. Many terrorists are ready to die for their ideals. Jesus asks the same courage from us Christians: to be ready to die for one another as Jesus has died for us.

Are we ready to die for the good as much as others are ready to die for the evil? We may not be able to influence political structures and procedures in a direct way, but if all humans who want to live in peace took seriously Jesus’ commandment to love one another, wouldn’t our love be able to overcome the division and hatred we see in the world? I believe that in our small ways we can contribute to the spreading of peace and reconciliation in the world around us.

Maria Voce challenged all of us in her talk at the UN: "It is clear that our times do not require half measures. If violent extremism exists - while accepting the need to defend oneself and especially those who are weak and persecuted - our response must be similarly radical, but one that is structurally different, by which I mean ‘extremism in dialogue!’ A dialogue which requires the highest level of engagement, which is risky, demanding, challenging and which aims to sever the roots of incomprehension, fear and bitterness."

On this sixth Sunday of Easter, let’s commit ourselves to be testimonies of God’s love in the world and witness to the equality of all human beings by building relationships of peace and reconciliation and commit ourselves to ‘extremism in dialogue.’

1 http://www.un.org/pga/hltd-promoting-tolerance-and-reconciliation/

Image: "Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding" by Ginny found on Flickr under the Creative Commons License