Interfaith

Interfaith is not confined to the times of dialogue, negotiations, mediation, and other conversations. These times can be compared to when a ball club is on the pitch and meeting the challenges and obstacles toward the larger and longer-range goals of season standings, playoffs, and hopefully championship trophies, if not this year, then next, or perhaps even in a five year plan of trades, acquisitions, and all else that contribute to the success of a club.

We’ve noted already the various facets of interfaith, which include some or all of dialogue, reconciliation, and cooperation and collaboration. Now I recommend four applications for these, namely concept, analysis, method, and implementation. A keen interfaith person must be aware that efforts can fully break down in any of these parts.

It may look like a conversation broke down at the meeting, but very often the conversation was lost long before the partners even set foot on a plane.

In the prior note I touched on concept. It is vital to establish clearly our view about the genesis, structure, dynamic, self-maintenance, and growth and expansion of discord, indifference, hostility, and animosity.

This entry introduces and touches on analysis.

Interfaith is tied to myriad factors. Done well, good interfaith analysis makes 3D Chess look like tick tack toe. The vast array of threads in the make-up of “religion” will be introduced in further entries. Suffice it to say the absolutes at play can range anywhere from Theodicy to the stream behind my uncle’s house, to the smell of curry, to a tooth of the Buddha.

We must endeavor with God’s help to stretch our analyses of each interfaith moment and goal to its limit, its most exquisite, best advised, and from as many angles as we can find. It is near impossible to do this without prayer or some equivalent.