Individual and Communities

Individual and communities

Dialogue between challenges and prophecy

1. Introduction

This presentation comprises of three parts. I will offer an introduction which wishes to present what we could define the great challenges of today’s world: the quest for peace against the background of the tensions between identities and what I call a ‘return of religion’ in public sphere of life, especially here in Western societies. The third part will focus on the action of new agents in building relationships among members of different religions and I will concentrate on one of these movements, the Focolare Movement.

2. The present world situation

2.1 Individuals and communities: identities and peace

There are two challenges which are characteristic of our times: the threat to peace and the search, by individual persons and by communities, for identity. Although these concerns are not new, they have intensified in the last thirty or forty years. They can be found in every part of the globe, in different ways according to the historical development of different social and economic processes.

On the one hand, the world appears always more afflicted by tensions of every sort, which often explode into real conflicts, not only among nations but often, within nations with worldwide effects. The tensions are acute, ranging from the economic crisis currently driving entire peoples to the brink of starvation, creating pockets of exploitation where the deep roots of terrorism are to be found. It is extremely difficult in the current struggles to distinguish between cultural and religious motivations, historical processes and political or economic intrigue.

Geopolitical geography, furthermore, is changing and as a result tensions are increasing. Immigration is a phenomenon that has a profound effect upon the continent and the encounter with people who are different, almost unknown, has the potential to inspire violence. In many parts of the globe, it is becoming increasingly obvious that there is a need for greater integration between local various cultures and ethnic communities, often suffocated and marginalized by the effects of colonialism or neocolonialism. It is a process of integration and interculturalism which is not always easy.

All of these situations are a threat to peace and often this is caused by, or at least is done in, the name of religion.

A second critical aspect is the identity crisis of both individuals and communities. In the West, following the division of religion and the social sphere, people struggle to find satisfactory answers to the great questions of existence. They find themselves imprisoned in a cul-de-sac from which it is difficult to emerge. The great religions, in the East as in the West, find themselves facing the challenges of the modern world, without satisfactory answers for those who follow them. Still religion much to the surprise of many appears to be more and more the protagonist of today’s scene.

2.2 The return of religion to public sphere

“We live in a world that is not supposed to exist”[1]. These effective words by American political scientist, Scott Thomas, seem to summarize in a thought-provoking way the reality we are facing today.

On one side, in fact, especially in West, and more specifically in Europe, we are all very much aware that Christian religion, both catholic and main-stream protestant churches, is going through rough time. “Europe once co-terminus with Christendom is now post-Christian and neo-Pagan”.[2] The barycentre of Christianity has already shifted from Europe to Asia[3], Africa and, above all, South America. Still, Christianity is the fastest growing religion, thanks to Pentecostalism.[4] Historical processes supported by hermeneutical reflections had successfully sanctioned the exit of religion from the public sphere of life. The concept that religion, if politicised, represents a source of violence and never leads to peace progressively gained ground and, as a consequence, religion was displaced from the centre of European public life, relegated to its margins and, progressively, ignored.

On the other side, already for a few decades, there are signs which seem to prove all this wrong. For quite some time, religion probably represented the most effective and successful mobilising factor of public opinion and played a fundamental role even in Europe, the continent which sanctioned its exile status.

Already in post-war period, the three so-called founding fathers of European Union - Schuman, Adenauer and De Gasperi - had a Christian-democratic formation. One of the main factors, though not the only one, which, in 1989, led to the collapse of the soviet system, has to be taken to the dissident Christian spirit.[5] Another element was the social and political impact of the amazing capability of Pope John Paul II to attract hundreds of thousand of people. But also outside Europe, religion impacted the world: the Khomeini revolution, the appearance of international terrorism, which took a religious colour, being identified with a religion. The recent north-African upheavals have, along with socio-political roots, also a religious element which can not be ignored.

In the last three decades, the role of religions has been more and more interwoven with phenomena, which, paradoxically, are the ones which were expected to provoke its progressive disappearance.

First among them is globalization with the migration phenomenon which, a part from displacing hundred of thousand of people, is fast changing the face of our societies, especially in the West. With around 15 million Muslims, Europe is a Dar al-Islam and can be very well considered as part of the umma. «Religious diaspora communities are one of the most significant types of non-state actors in world-politics of the twenty-first century».[6] They contribute, in fact, to formation of specific identities, they favour transnational net-works, contributing to the globalising processes and impacting directly the new societies where they settled down and the one back home.

2.2.1 Reformatting religions in the globalised world

All religions are in the course of reformatting themselves, as global faith and not longer as typically European or Indian or Japanese. At the same time, we observe in all major religions of the world, a clear tendency to acquire a purer dimension of one’s own religiosity. All this brings about contrasting consequences which are well summed up by the anthropologist Roger Bastide.

[…] individuals tend to take root in a territory, barricading themselves behind the walls of a house, distinguishing their ‘own’ from ‘the others’ […]. But today, with progress in transportation means and information technology, the universe has brusquely become smaller. […] We could hope that this multiplication of encounters and contacts could finally achieve the triumph of worldwide brotherhood, a feeling of our unity, of our common responsibility […]. Instead, we take advantage of these contacts with a square attitude, with the mentality of an airtight compartment. And also when we travel, we carry our prejudices with us, our ignorance, our difficulty in stepping out of ourselves, and even our dreams of power and leadership.[7]

2.2.3 Religious Pluralism

A crucial aspect in the phenomena is the pluralistic component of in this resurgence. We can not speak of coming back of religion but of ‘religions’. A dialogical approach becomes decisive in the overall panorama.

2.3 The challenge of dialogue

In this complex context, it is necessary to favour a positive reading of the present unfolding of historical developments. Secondly, all possible initiatives aiming at a constructive attitude towards pluralism have to be encouraged. Finally, it has to be facilitate the putting into action of methodologies which can favour encounter, rather than a clash, among people of different religions and cultures.

2.3.2 New actors in the encounter among religious traditions

A relevant, though not exclusive, role is the one played by new actors: ecclesial communities, movements and associations or NGO’s, born and developed within contemporary society. The phenomenon has been visible in the Catholic Church, where many small, medium and large such ecclesial communities[8] propose an interest in religious life and a renewed commitment in living it daily. It is through this vital approach that these associations and communities, largely but not exclusively, formed by lay people, have an impact at the social, political, educational and cultural level. Some of them, with a highly international spreading, like Sant’Egidio Community and the Focolare Movement, were able to couple their commitment for renewal within the Christian folds with a very active involvement in the field of interfaith dialogue. Chiara Lubich, foundress of the Focolare Movement, in the last years of her life, often reflected on this specific point.

[We wish to contribute] so that religious pluralism can shed its connotation of division and conflict, and emerge to represent for millions of men and women, the challenge of recomposing the unity of the human family […][9].

Surprisingly, similar phenomena of renewal are happening within other faiths and traditions too, carrying thought-provoking commonalities with the ones happening within Catholicism and Christianity. Groups and communities in the Islamic, Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu world show a commitment in renewing their own traditions, not in contraposition to religious authorities, rather trying to make their Scriptures and religious message in general relevant in today’s society. They often have the same commitment in building bridges with faithful of other religions, favouring positive and enriching encounters among cultures.[10]

3. The Focolare Movement and interreligious dialogue

Against the historic, social and religious background, I will now offer the experience of one of these Movements.

3.1 Historical background

Born in a typical catholic milieu like the city of Trent (Italy) of the early forties of last century, the new Movement took inspiration from the commitment of Lubich and a group of girls in living the Gospel, rediscovered as the core of Christian faith. In the course of this experience certain evangelical aspects came into evidence giving shape to a spirituality which has love, unity, presence of God in the community, as its central points. On the basis of this, a movement grew, formed by families, lay people and clerics, youth, people involved in human endevours. The process quickly spread across Italy to reach some European countries already in the fifties.

Since 1960 the Focolare Movement began to have an ever deeper relationship with Christian of other Churches (Lutherans, Anglicans and Orthodox) and later, in different continents, with faithful of the traditional African religions, Buddhists (Mahayama and Therawada), Muslims (Shiites and Sunnites), Jews and Hindus. They were mainly relationships born from a life experience and based on spiritual friendship. Many of these brothers and sisters opted to become active within the Movement, keeping with their religious beliefs and, at the same time, spreading the ideals and spirit of the Movement within their respective religious traditions.

Often this dialogue comes about from contacts in daily life, as is the case with the Muslims in Algeria. It is also the fruit of meetings that Chiara herself had throughout the years with leaders of other religions. She was invited to speak to gatherings of persons belonging to different religions in Japan, Thailand, the United States, Argentina and India. These meetings enhanced reciprocal acquaintance, friendship and dialogue. Collaboration with international and local bodies gave rise to projects aimed at promoting peace and justice. Such activities included both social projects as well as formation programs for young people. Since 2002 various symposia have contributed to an academic reflection at the theological and philosophical level.

Where does all this come from?

From what in the Christian tradition is called a charism, a gift of God.

3.2 Surprise and prophesy

Whenever the Spirit is at work, surprises abound, much to the astonishment of the person who receives it. Lubich had no idea what was going to happen and this was true, in general, for the birth and the development of the Focolare Movement and, specifically, for dialogue with the faithful of other religions.

Even after more than sixty years of experience we are surprised to see how the spiritual path that God has traced for us intersects with all the other spiritual paths, even those of the faithful of other religions [. . .]. While maintaining our own identity we are able to meet with them[…].[11]

Interreligious dialogue, therefore, is not a project but rather a ‘prophesy’.

3.3 Interreligious dialogue and unity - Methodology of dialogue: art of loving

A charism within Christianity offers a specific understanding of the message of Christ. That of the Focolare Movement can be synthesized in one word: unity, that is, the fulfillment through evangelical love of Jesus’ prayer: “Father, may they all be one” (Jn 17: 21). Herein are the aim and the key of the spirituality of communion that contains the characteristics of the ecclesial physiognomy that emerged from the Second Vatican Council. It is a spirituality that offers its own vision of humanity, already expressed in one of the early years’ writing of Chiara:

We must fix our gaze upon the one Father of many children. Then we need to see all creatures as children of God. In our thoughts and love we need to go beyond all the barriers that human nature imposes and become accustomed to be propelled towards universal brotherhood, all children of the same Father: God.[12]

From this approach a methodology of dialogue has emerged, consisting of four points which can find a foundation, not only in Christianity, but in the respective religious traditions too.

In order to dialogue it is necessary to address our love towards everyone, with no distinction towards the different people we encounter everyday. This implies to consider everyone as a potential candidate to the building of unity. It is an attitude rooted on the discovery that God is Father, and, as a consequence, that we are all brothers and sisters. It calls for a commitment to go constantly beyond all man-made distinctions: the ones of nationality, race, gender, and even of religious faith.

A second element is represented by the fact that love always takes the initiative. The ‘other’, not ‘I’, is the priority. In this regard the Quran advices: “Everyone must forgive. Do you want to receive God’s pardon? God forgives and he is merciful”.[13]

Far from being an irenic approach, this art of loving requires – and we have here the third element - a concrete commitment: serving whoever is beside us, trying to be one with the neighbor. This means empathy, feeling what the other feels, and to live it with him. It requires the effort to try to enter into his mentality, respecting his personality and trying to understand values and principles the way he understands them. As the Christian theologian F. Whaling effectively, underlines, “to know the other’s religion implies entering into his or her skin, to see the world as the other sees it, penetrate into what it means for the other to be a Buddhist, a Muslim, etc.”[14].