Interfaith Dialogue

Not long ago I read The Book of Joy. I recommend it. Desmond Tutu an Archbishop in the Episcopal Church traveled to India to help celebrate the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday. The book describes their days and conversations around the topic of creating lasting happiness in a changing world. A Christian and a Buddhist, good and respectful friends in search of joy. Too often we think of Interfaith dialogue in terms of convincing the other to join us in our beliefs and practices. There was no hint of conversion between these two strong men of faith. This competitive attitude of “us” against “them” is often about who is right and who is wrong. One of the primary reasons that I am a Christian is that I was born into and raised in a Christian culture. Who might I have become if I had been born elsewhere? I believe there are truths of God in all our religions as well as falsehood of humanity in all religions. Perhaps, God’s plan is for us to respect each other sufficiently so that we can learn from one another without diminishing our beliefs but, also, learning about other’s beliefs and experiences with God. I suspect God is bigger than any of our “religions.”