To Celabrate the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines, the bishops launched in 2012“a nine-year journey for the New Evangelization” with a different theme for each year to prepare the faithful for the Jubilee which will take place in 2021. In this perspective, the Catholic Church in the Philippines will dedicate the year 2020 to Ecumenism, Inter-Religious Dialogue, and Indigenous People. It is an opportune moment for everyone to be aware of the necessity of interfaith dialogue and its four pillars: dialogue with God, with oneself, with others, and with the creation.
In this perspective, from July 1-15, 2019, two Xaverian brothers joined the Silsilah Dialogue Movement that promotes the Culture of Dialogue and Path to Peace. A special program on dialogue was organized by the Silsilah Dialogue Movement with the theme of Christianity and Islam at the crossroads. There were 31 participants from the two religions in which 16 were Muslims and 15 Christians.
The formation guides the participants towards the mutual understanding about how the two religions can help each other if the Christians and Muslims enter into a deeper experience of the culture of dialogue. To make this culture of dialogue become a genuine spirituality, it is fundamental for each believer to strengthen first his or her religious identity. Since the doctrinal teachings alone are not enough to promote this spirit of dialogue, we were given two weekends of immersion where Christian participants were sent to live with Muslim families whereas Muslim participants with Christian families. The experience was meaningful due to the mutual sharing with our foster parents who share their joys, sorrows, their faith commitments, and challenges. The moment of immersion is fundamental to move on with courage and continue living the spirituality of dialogue. For us, it is a reminder that the culture of dialogue does not aim to create a super-religion or a super-culture rather it is an answer to the unity in diversity.
At the end of the program we the participants came up with this statement of commitment which recapitulates our learnings and experiences: rooted in our pearl of giftedness, we people of diverse religions, commit ourselves to be the bridge that links others towards harmony, justice, love, and peace throughout our lifetime.
From this commitment, it is clear that the dialogue becomes a culture or a spirituality whenever many people of sincere heart and mind believe in it, live it, and promote it in all levels of the society. Therefore, we do dialogue not because of the expectations but because of love manifested in action, silence, and harmony. Otherwise, the so-called ‘dialogue’ will be a strategy to convince others. In the words of Fr Sebastiano D’ Ambre, the founder of Silsilah movement in Zamboanga, “Dialogue without love is nothing. It becomes a strategy and a dangerous way of relating when people do not see each other as having the same dignity. It becomes a new way of controlling and dominating others. The real dialogue motivated by love not only requires pain but also gives joy. Real dialogue can only be sustained by love.” [1]
[1] Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, PME , Call to a Dream: Sislsilah Dialogue Movement,( Silsilah Publications, Zamboanga, 2008 ),10.
