When I look around our world today what do I see? A suffering, wounded, broken, dehumanised humanity crying out to be listened to. Crying out in hope. But the leadership of the world, because it is weak and self-centred, are deaf to their cries and do not listen. They respond only with bombs, guns and violence. The world is filled with weeping. People are weeping in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, Lebanon and all across the Middle East, plunged into homelessness, starvation and no means of employment, all due to the atrocities that occurred on 7 October 2023. In Ukraine and in Russia, people are weeping at the death and mutilation of hundreds of thousands of young people as they weep in Sudan, Myanmar and Haiti. People are weeping at the consequences of climate change, too.
There are so many conflicts in our world that cause us all great anguish. Our hearts are deeply wounded by what is happening. We all appeal and pray for peace. For there to be peace, there needs first to be attentive listening to the wounded, the suffering, and the oppressed. Profound listening is the foundation of everything, including peace. Not just politely and pretendly listening while impatiently waiting for someone to finish but then jumping in with one’s own imposed solution and proposal. Profound listening takes place in patient, imaginative, intelligent, open-hearted listening. Never has the use of violence brought peace in its wake.
Violence begets violence. In our multi-cultural, multi-faith, multi-ethnic world, respect for diversity and acceptance of other people in their distinctiveness is necessary not only in relations between individuals but also in relations between nations, cultures and religions. Signing the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together in February 2019, Pope Francis and Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb said in their joint statement that, “The pluralism and diversity of religions are willed by God in His wisdom.”
What, then, can we do to make peace in our common home? Let each of us reach out and establish new relationships in our human society under the guidance of justice, peace and reconciliation. May the followers of every faith and those who have none know that peace is a good that overcomes every barrier because it belongs to all of humanity.
It is neither a culture of confrontation nor a culture of conflict which builds harmony with and between peoples. It is only a culture of encounter and a culture of dialogue that is the way to peace. As a Christian, it is in the wounds of today’s dehumanised humanity that we can authentically see the invisible God and touch an otherwise barely touchable mystery.
Fr Ray Collier, Columban IRD Ministry, England.
Related links
- Read more from the current Columban Interfaith eBulletin
