Saturday, October 30, 2004
WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM ?
We've encountered that question in Scripture and in the language of John Paul II. Peter wasn't well-educated, but he knew the answer--You are the Christ, Son of the living God.
There are many prophets, but there is only one Son. He is a stumbling block in interreligious dialogue. He told us He comes to bring division. He separates believer from non-believer, Christians from other religions, family member from family member, friend from friend.
How do you convince someone of another faith to accept the uniqueness of Christ? He stands apart. He is the heart and soul of all that has been created. Only Christ can repair our broken relationships with the Almighty, and our broken relationships with each other. Only Christ can make us whole.
What do we do about Him when the subject of Buddha is on the dialogue table? Must He be reduced to the equal of a wolf or a bear when there are American Indians participating in the dialogue? Do we push Him out of sight because He is inconvenient? Hide Him while we compare our similarities in doctrine and mysticism? To come to the dialogue table equipped to defend what we believe runs a serious risk of insulting the others who are also there. A religious dialogue is based on the assumption that all participants carry equal weight. Anything less is a guarantee of disagreement.
If Christ cannot be reduced to a wolf or a bear, how can we participate in the discussion? If we can reduce Him to that, what is the point of having the discussion?
It is wrong to kill in God's name. If it were not wrong, Christ could easily have dispensed with His tormenters. He had the power to walk away from the cross and destroy His enemies. He chose instead to suffer and forgive.
That salvation earned at such a cost was earned for all of mankind. All are invited to come to the source of grace, and many will come, but many will walk away.
Is it possible to invite the world to sample that grace at the interreligious dialogue table, or must we sit there nodding our heads as the playing field of deities is leveled before us? If all that is possible is a benign nod and smile--If all that is possible is human friendship lacking in Divine essentials--what are we doing bringing our God to the table? If all gods are equal and we must solve our own problems ourselves through dialogue and altruism, what is the point of believing in any of them?
Jesus Christ is Lord!
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
